Behavioural and Emotional Complications of Traumatic Brain Injury

It is hard to imagine what it must be like for an individual following the personal crisis and catastrophe that ensues as a result of a serious traumatic brain injury. The individual is confronted with a huge range of alterations in his or her normal functioning, operating at the biological, psychological and social levels.From the neurological perspective a range of primary and secondary neurological events occurs, culminating in pain, seizures, compromise in movement, sensation, perception, orthopaedic and other injuries; neuropsychological compromise including disorientation, confusion, retrograde and anterograde memory deficits, decrease in attention and concentration, slowed speed of information processing; executive deficits including concreteness in idea generation, disinhibition and impulsivity; and, psychological deficits including diminished self-esteem, loneliness, a renewed dependency on parents or spouse, infantilization by the wider community, diminution of sexual functioning and interest, depression, anxiety and social isolation.From the neurological perspective a range of primary and secondary neurological events occurs, culminating in: economic deficits including loss of income, loss of one's employment as a defining features of one's social persona, medical costs, loss of treasured interests or hobbies and the unenviable role of the plaintiff in any medico-legal proceedings surrounding the claim. All of these changes are also occurring to an individual who has just had a near-death experience, culminating not too surprisingly in the reflections "Who I am?" and "Why I am here?". As a result, these individuals can develop a wide range of behavioral, emotional and psychiatric conditions following the injury, including depression, bipolar disorder, secondary mania, psychotic states, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, phobic disorders and generalised anxiety disorders, to name only a few.

These individuals can also be subject to a number of neuropsychiatric syndromes, including disorders of drive, disorders of impulse control and disturbance of neurovegetative functioning, including disruptions of sleep, eating and sexual function.This book presents the current state of our knowledge of the behavioral and emotional effects which can occur as a sequelae of TBI, and addresses issues associated with their differential diagnosis and the neurobiological mechanisms by which these might occur. The book will prove an excellent resource not only for clinicians who practice as psychiatrists, behavioural neurologists, clinical neuropsychologists and clinical psychologists, but also for psychologists in advanced training and for any individual who is involved in caring for or working with individuals with TBI.

ISBN : 184169441x, Author : Crowe, Publisher : Taylor & Francis - 2008, Dimensions : 23.4 x 15.5 x 2 cm , Paperback : 288 pages