Michael P. Ehline Head and Spinal Injuries Law Blog on Lawyers.com

Your Head and the Violent Behavior Link

Monday, August 15, 2011 by Michael P. Ehline

There has been research done recently that suggests a possible link between traumatic brain injuries and aggressive or violent behavior. This research data comes from a study that was conducted at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that an estimated 1.7 million Americans suffer traumatic brain injuries annually.

These injuries can be caused by any injury that disturbs the normal functioning of the brain and can include jolts, blows and bumps.
The study was conducted by Dr. Sarah Stoddard and published in the journal of Pediatrics, explaining that what their research found is that they were able to rule out histories of heavy drinking, and drug use in attempting to link aggressive behavior with traumatic brain injuries.

What was found is the more recent the head injury the more prone to aggressive behavior can be seen. The study involved 88 young adults and of those at many as 43 percent stated they had been involved in some type of violence, including getting into a fight or hurting someone following the traumatic brain injury.
Earlier research in traumatic brain injuries and even mild brain injuries can cause a short loss of consciousness and it can also cause a period of confusion.

Severe brain injuries can cause amnesia, unconsciousness for extended periods of time and there can be changes in the behavior including aggression, impulsiveness and emotional changes. In one study conducted involving prisoners that had suffered traumatic brain injuries researchers found they were more apt to engage in violence. The brain injury attorney at Ehline Law Firm PC suggests that this could create a whole new area of damages recovery for overly aggressive brain injury victims. Learn more at Ehline Law Firm PC 201 Wilshire Blvd., Second Floor, Santa Monica, California 90401 310.376.8488.

Posted at 23:19 PM

Topic: Head and Spinal Injuries