Traumatic Brain Injury Links To Sleep Problems And Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

First Posted: Apr 28, 2016 04:37 AM EDT
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A new research reveals that people who suffer from severe brain injury would likely have sleep problems for one and a half year after. The study was issued online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

A study involved 31 participants who had traumatic brain injury (TBI) from mild to severe 18 months before. They also included 42 healthy people who didn't have TBI.

The researchers asked the participants to keep track of their sleeping habits. They spent nights in a sleep lab. Their brain activity, heart function, muscle and eye movements were monitored and they were evaluated for daytime sleepiness. They were also asked if they had other medical conditions that were not related to TBI that could affect their sleep, according to Newsweek.

The results of the study showed that 67 percent of the patients with TBI had excessive daytime sleepiness compared to 19 percent of those in a healthy group. "This is the longest prospective and most comprehensive study about sleep quality and TBI to date," said Dr. Lukas Imbach, the author of the study. He further shared their discovery that majority of those with TBI, no matter how severe, had long-term sleep disturbances.

The excessive daytime sleepiness had an adverse effect on the health of people. It can aggravate the traumatic brain injury and impair the quality of life. It is also linked to public safety hazards like car accidents. Dr. Imbach said that people with TBI may not accurately assess their own sleep problems. This raises concerns to people who have TBI and physicians must monitor this problem.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is also known as intracranial injury, occurs when there is a mechanical force that traumatically injures the brain. Its causes include vehicular accidents, falls and physical violence. A shattered part or crack in the skull might also cause TBI.

Treatments for severe TBI include immediate emergency care and medications such as Diuretics, anti-seizure drugs and coma-inducing drugs. If there are additional damage to brain tissues, a surgery is needed. Rehabilitation is also required for people with significant brain injuries.

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