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Syracuse Brain Injury Lawyer Reacts To Thalamic MRI Testing For Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Whether a person has a “mild,” “moderate” or “severe” traumatic brain injury (TBI) is governed by the Glasgow Coma Scale. A score of 13-15 is a “mild” injury, a score of 9-12 is a “moderate” injury, and a score of 8 or less is a “severe” injury. 75% of brain injuries are considered “mild.” However, the consequences of a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) frequently are not mild and, in some instances, never go away.

Recently, a physician from New York University’s School of Medicine, reported that resting-state magnetic resonance imaging (an MRI) can be used to identify a mild TBI. Apparently, a resting-state MRI can identify increased thalamic resting-state networks (RSNs) and reduced symmetry. “We welcome additional radiological imaging to identify what really is a silent epidemic,” said Michael A. Bottar, a New York traumatic brain injury attorney. “Until recently, medicine said that you were fine if you did not fracture your skull, and had a normal CT and/or MRI. We know, from experience, that some people who experience a MTBI have no outward signs of injury. Even so, they are never the same.”

Some signs and symptoms of a MTBI include: transient confusion, disorientation, loss of consciousness or altered consciousness, memory dysfunction, headaches, dizziness, irritability, fatigue and poor concentration.

According to the CDC’s Report To Congress On Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In the United States, “MTBI is a public health problem, the magnitude and impact of which are underestimated by current surveillance systems.”

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