Comparing Traumatic Brain Injury and Anoxic Brain Injury in Rehabilitation

Research Update: Comparing Traumatic Brain Injury and Anoxic Brain Injury in Rehabilitation

A brief summary of current research.

The Rehabilitation Outcomes After Anoxic Brain Injury: A Case-Controlled Comparison with Traumatic Brain Injury

Cullen, NK, Crescini, C, & Bayley, MT (2009). PM&R, Vol. 1 (12), pp 1069-1076.

Two groups of patients were compared: one of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and one of patients with anoxic brain injury (AnBI) — damage caused when the brain receives inadequate oxygen for several minutes or longer (brain cells begin to die after approximately four minutes without oxygen). The two groups were matched for age, severity of injury, and length of acute care hospitalization. Patients who had an AnBI had a slower recovery rate compared with those who had a TBI. Physical recovery was also slower than cognitive recovery during inpatient rehabilitation for an AnBI.

Find out more.

Posted on BrainLine March 11, 2010.

Comments (7)

Please remember, we are not able to give medical or legal advice. If you have medical concerns, please consult your doctor. All posted comments are the views and opinions of the poster only.

Why can’t you be more positive life is too short to worry about what might happen. Just live your life and enjoy as best you can none of us know how long we have left. I remember spending 3 months in a neurological ward and. Ring told be a brilliant consultant that the biggest cause of death in this country is stress and I gave never forgotten that much as I had a veain hemorhage plus three further aneurysms two strokes brain surgery and major abdominal surgery four times due to a ruptured bowel followed by surgical hernias. I am now 73 and still working nothing worries me. Just take one day at a time and enjoy

I have so much to say but all I can say for now is,THANK YOU. I look forward to my little son's recovery and he will be able to encourage another like you just did

I really enjoyed reading that.

Maybe consider trying to stick with more positive reading items. There is already more than ample negativity in our world without having any problems. I've lived with a severe TBI FOR almost 20 yrs now. I'm not going to tell you it's been an awesome 20 because it hasn't been! I had to learn everything all over again thanks to a 15 yo DUI in a stolen car! The first year my days were consumed with walking talking, using the bathroom, learning how to change a tampon smh, I never did learn how to cook again and bc my Broca area was severely affected, I'll never be able to talk or communicate the way i did before. So much for 2 college degrees I worked my ass off for, I'm still paying off student loans that I'm sure won't be paid off before I die but you know what? Oh well. Dying is part of living. It's the nature of things. I've seen more than my share of death and tragedies. I have 2 different friends who's kids were murdered, one of them brutally and that case is open still 6 yrs later. We never know what might happen tomorrow, or even a few hours from now. My advice to you is to try your best to find smthn good and positive in each day, try your best to enjoy life because it will be over before you realize it's flown right by you. I promise it flies right by. Be a good person have a good heart don't try to hurt others and it will pay off in the end. Honestly, most people who knew me are like... don't you ever get so tired of it? I'm like, which part? All of it Yep count on it. But while I'm stl here I'm trying my BEST TO DO MY BEST AND THAT'S THE VERY BEST I CAN do. That's all anyone can do. I make lemonade out of lemons I put a brave face on in front of ppl, I fall to pieces at home. Sometimes for days on end. But, this too shall pass. Just gotta roll with the punches.
You have control in your life enough to choose the materials you read. Right? So that's a choice YOU'RE MAKING. So choose not to read abt the myriad awful things that COULD happen, instead focus that energy on great things THAT REALLY CAN HAPPEN IN LIFE also. Life is chock full of things that are unexpected, and anyone's life can end at any given moment. An expert once told me I probably wouldn't see my youngest into kindergarten, 6 th grade now. Attitude isn't QUITE everything, but darn near. Keep a good attitude. But whatever you do, don't have a fear of dying because it'll make your days very complicated and arduous.
Just sit back, take a deep breath and realize- in the end there's not a ton we can do to avoid it. God's will, will always be done. That's all. Hope this helped. I bid you well! Happy holidays.

So basically it's a very bad deal for a person who's had a TBI and also has lung problems severely enough that I have to use a nebulizer few times a week? So much for brain cells. I'm screwed! This is so depressing. Along with everything else going wrong-
I'm befuddled. Perplexed. I feel like giving up.

I think you will be perfectly fine if you currently have no effects. :)  I believe this is referring to long term anoxic brain injury. You had TBI resulting in anoxic brain injury and your's was short term sounds like.

I am 23 years old. I was in a car crash that caused me to not be able to breathe for a very long time causing an anoxic brain injury. This happened when I was 17-18. Now, I'm reading that this injury (that I don't even really notice anymore) can possible cause early death? How early? I already have horrible anxiety! What the deal here, will I die early? Any answer is appreciated. I'm scared now 5 years later while most days it hardly effects me...