How Did Henry Molaison Cause Brain Injuries?

Imagine this… you walk into your grandparents’ house only to find out your grandfather cannot remember who you are or how you relate to him. “Grandpa, it’s me, your granddaughter,” you try explaining to him. “Who?” he inquires. Although you are deeply saddened he cannot remember your name or the memories you created with him, you smile and pretend everything is all right—nonetheless, it takes an emotional toll on you and your family. Despite the fact this does not directly pertain to me, I know many people who encounter these challenges. One example is my friend’s grandfather, Jim Cadile. Cadile played eleven seasons as an offensive guard for the Chicago Bears from 1962-1972. At the height of his career, he won the NFL Championship—which is equivalent to the Super Bowl. During his NFL career, he suffered too many concussions which explains why he is currently struggling with Sundown Disease—a symptom of Alzheimer’s Disease. A concussion occurs when the brain jolts and its tissue breaks or stretches. When this happens, the brain can no longer send proper signals, thoughts, and commands to the body (LaMendola). In 2013, there was a $765 million lawsuit between the NFL and retired players—including Cadile—for covering up the risks of concussions resulting from playing football (Schwarz, Bogdanich, Williams). In the lawsuit, some people claim concussions have become an accepted part of football, due to its “tough guy” attitude (Farmer). However, concussions should not be

In 1848, Phineas Gage was a 25 year old working man. An accident occurred to him at work one day which radically changed how the brain was viewed and known to function. He was helping to prepare the way for railroads to be put down when an explosion happened unexpectedly and it sent a 43 inch tamping iron into Phineas Gage’s head through his face, skull and brain. The tamping iron went all the way through and landed some ways off. The remarkable thing was that Gage became conscious within a matter of a few minutes after the incident. Not only did he wake up but he still had the ability to walk and to talk. Even though Gage survived his injuries he was no longer the same.

As we all know, the human brain is the most insubstantial and vital organ in the human body as it is the command center for every other body part (newscientist.com). Any slight wound to this organ could lead to severe consequences usually encountered at that very moment. It may be an extremely low chance of a major head injury, but it does happen to millions of people annually. One single concussion, provided with the lack of healing, could lead to short-term and long-term memory loss, depression,

Some of the long term effects that are stated in the article Long Term Effects of Brain Injuries are server problems with attention and short-term memory, having difficulty performing daily tasks, and feeling “slower” overall are just some of the thing that I’ve learn to deal with on a day-to-day basis.

Medical and technological advances have led to greater survival rates in individuals suffering from various illness and injury throughout history. This includes individuals who suffer traumatic and nontraumatic brain injuries. Approximately 1.5 million people in the United States sustain a brain injury each year with the survival rate of over 90 percent making brain injury the leading cause for disability in the United States. (Mysiw, Bogner, Corrigan, Fugate, Clinchot, & Kadyan 2006). Cognitive, physical, sensory and behavioral changes are widely noted in individuals in the months and years following a brain injury. However, the psychosocial, psychological and emotional effects of these injuries are less discussed and therefore these aspects can be overlooked when anticipating a course of treatment. Individuals who sustain acquired brain injuries experience significant, lasting impairment in the psychosocial, psychological and emotional aspects of their lives and better understanding of these issues can lead to better treatment and coping skills for these individuals.

On opening day, a lot of people watched the movie "Concussion," and it changed the way they saw the football forever. The way that concussions have been viewed by fans in the past was that it was not a big deal. With the release of this movie, people may soon adopt a more conservative approach to management with how medical professionals manage players who suffered a brain injury. That might sound like a bad thing, but extra caution could help to save players and their families a lot of heartache down the road.

This letter is in regards to some concerns for possible brain injuries that are likely to occur when playing sports but specifically rugby. The brain is the most essential function of the human body. In order to not only conduct an analysis but also understand the brain and we must complete a detailed training on how the brain is affected when a concussion takes place. According to several health professionals it only takes one brain injury to adjust the behavior of a person. Many hits to the head can take a devastating tool on the brain. There are studies showing that Rugby Football is destroying the brain of rugby football players. A common head injury is a Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a repetitive brain injury. The initial cause is occurs when the brain comes in

A traumatic brain injury (“TBI”) occurs when the brain is somehow injured, rattled, or wounded from an external source of force. The means of acquisition and the severity of TBIs are unique to each patient; therefore, symptoms and rehabilitation can vary greatly depending on the patient’s condition following the incident and how they sustained the injury. The severity of a TBI is generally classified into one of three categories: mild, moderate, or severe, and this type of diagnostic criteria influences how a patient with TBI is treated by medical staff and rehabilitation specialists. TBIs can affect a specific part of the brain that was directly impacted, leaving the patients with only one or a few areas of impairment, or the damage can

For a long time, traumatic brain injury has been a large contributor to disabilities and death within the United States. Around 30 percent of these injuries lead to death, and those who survive these injuries may suffer from short-term side effects to long-term disabilities. It can range from a minor head injury to a major injury that you might suffer from a motorcycle accident.

Traumatic brain injuries can vary in their severity. In the case of mild brain injury, full recovery is possible. On the other hand, severe brain injury can be fatal or cause permanent disabilities, the type of which depend on the affected area of the brain. A head injury is usually obvious because of visible wounds to the head. However, the coup-contrecoup brain injury may occur without any exterior damage to the head or skull. The victim may first feel a headache, but because there's no evidence of a head injury, the coup-contrecoup may go undiagnosed and death may occur in a matter of hours or days.

Dr.Bennet Olamu is a Nigerian forensic pathologist who was the first to document findings of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Dr.Olamu found the first discoveries of CTE when investigating the brain of former Pittsburgh Steelers Center Mike Webster. Mike Webster was a player known for playing a hardnosed style of football. This resulted in permanent damage to the brain. When Dr.Olamu investigated his brain he was surprised by the amount of protein that causes CTE called tau. After making this discovery Dr.Olamu made the connection that too much head trauma in football can result in CTE. When Dr.Olamu decided to present this information to the NFL he was under the impression that the NFL would value his info. Instead

I believe sports should become more informed when dealing with head trauma that results from contact sports. Certain guidelines and classes for athletes should be created to inform athletes about this epidemic. These diseases are not a joking matter and should be dealt with immediately. People are dying due to these diseases because they are unaware of the dangers and symptoms. The NFL, MLB, and association football or soccer are doing very little to protect the athletes from getting these head injuries. Guidelines and rules need to be made in order to protect the players from getting such diseases from head trauma. What is in action to prevent these injuries from happening? How much longer do athletes have to go through this epidemic of head

It is amazing to me how people’s brains are so small compared to the whole body, yet it is an exceedingly complex organ that deals with so many mental and physical functions that help regulate our body. The brain is one of our main sources of operation, and so when a person’s brain is harmed or damaged in any way, there can be major consequences for that individual. One detrimental brain injury that has recently been heavily researched and talked is chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is a progressive degenerative disease in the brain (Comer, 2014). More light has been showed on CTE in order to raise more awareness and seek solutions in helping prevent and fix the disease. In the following paragraphs, I will explain more in detail about CTE, specifically the causes, symptoms and outcomes, and the importance of being aware of CTE.

During November in 2012, Tufts University student Dylan Williams was walking home from a library when he was hit by a vehicle while walking down a crosswalk. Dylan’s head went through the windshield. He was rushed to the nearest hospital in an ambulance. Luckily, the nearest hospital was Massachusetts General which has a phenomenal trauma center as well as intensive care for neurosciences. The quick removal of the bad fluids via a drain tube, ridding pressure from Dylan’s head, saved him from having to remove a portion of his skull.

It is also unclear if it is the brain injury itself that causes the result and if it is the same for healthy people.