Guided Notes Brain Injuries and Parasympathetic vs Sympathetic Divisions

Name: ______________________

Traumatic Brain Injury

Leading cause of accidental death among all people in US○ 1.7 million experience TBI each year…

… causing ~52,000 deaths each year Leading cause of all death and disability among US children

○ ~500,000 children visit ER with TBI each yearCauses of Brain Injury

___________________ & _______________________ are leading causes Sports-related are grouped in the struck/by against Important to understand that the damage is caused not just by the blow, but also by the brain

______________________________________________________________________________

Concussion –

Mild injury (though still serious) _______________________________________________ (such as severing of connections between

neurons) Symptoms

Dizziness, nausea, inability to concentrate, memory difficulties, sensitivity to light or sound, mood changes, sleep changes

Treatment _________________________________________________________________ VERY IMPORTANT TO PREVENT SECONDARY IMPACT!

Contusion – Localized tissue bruising / destruction Often occurs with _______________________________ (extensive bleeding in the brain) Often causes __________________________________________ (brain swelling), which can be fatal if

the pressure isn’t relieved Symptoms

Same as concussion, but more often include __________________________________, ___________________________, ______________________________

Can be seen on MRI / CT More likely to cause permanent loss of function or death

Misconception alert!

A contusion is not simply a more severe concussion. You can have a concussion, or a contusion, or both.

Cerebrovascular Accident (aka stroke)

The scenario...A semi-conscious young woman is brought to the hospital by friends after falling from a roof. She did not lose consciousness immediately, and she was initially lucid. After a while, though, she became confused and then unresponsive. Questions

What is a likely explanation for her condition?

What test(s) would you do?

What treatment(s) might be necessary?

What is her prognosis?

3rd leading cause of death in US ________________________________

due to clot or bleeding in the brain Brain tissue dies due to lack of oxygen Treatment involves restoring blood flow

through ______________________, blood thinners, shunts, etc.

Long-term effects depend on location, size/degree of blockage, and speed of treatment

Misconception alert!

We are not usually in “sympathetic mode” or “parasympathetic mode” … rather, our body constantly uses the two types of neurons to maintain homeostasis (e.g. raising or lowering heartbeat, increasing or decreasing digestion, as needed).

If SD and PD are both motor neurons, connecting in many cases to the same organs, HOW do they create opposite effects?