Non-traumatic brain injuries are caused by something that happens inside the body, or a substance introduced into the body that damages brain tissues. It happens after birth and is not related to a congenital or a degenerative disease. There are several different causes of non-traumatic brain injury, including:
- Aneurysm
- Brain tumour
- Cerebral edema
- Encephalitis
- Hydrocephalus
- Hypoxia/anoxia
- Meningitis
- Opioid overdose
- Stroke
Non-traumatic brain injuries can affect every part of a person’s life. This includes changes to your independence, abilities, work, and relationships. Each brain injury is different, so in many cases it’s hard to know what long-term impacts will be.
Some of the most common effects of brain injury can be put in the following categories [1]:
Behavioural changes
The way a person acts or makes decisions can change after a brain injury. Behavioural changes can include engaging in risky or impulsive behaviour, having difficulty with relationships, and isolation. This can be stressful and depending on the behaviour, can cause safety concerns.
Cognitive changes
This is how the brain learns, processes information, forms memories and makes decisions. Cognitive challenges after a brain injury can include communication, concentration, reading/writing, making decisions, and remembering things.
Emotional changes
After a brain injury, a person may experience new or different emotions, including depression, anxiety, and/or anger. Emotional changes can be hard to cope with, and it’s important to have a support system of family, friends, and medical professionals to help.
Physical changes
In some cases, a brain injury will have physical effects. These effects can include mobility challenges, headaches, fatigue, pain and sensory changes.
The challenges of prognosis
Prognosis means the likely path a disease or injury will take. For brain injury, prognosis is meant to give a best estimate of effects and recovery. Brain injuries are all different, and there are a lot of factors that will impact a prognosis of recovery, including:
- Severity of injury
- Previous injuries and existing conditions
- Access to treatment
- Age
- Location of injury
Research shows that there is no system or set of variables that can accurately predict the outcome for a single patient [2]. There is no surefire timeline for recovery—it’s different for everyone. Doctors will update their prognosis throughout recovery as they have more information.
