Participating in sports activities can be a positive factor in physical health and emotional well-being, but playing sports comes with some inherent risks, like spinal cord injury. While falls and motor vehicle accidents cause the most traumatic spinal cord injuries, sports-related spinal cord injuries are also a concern. Spinal cord damage is not a common… Read More
What Is a Locked-In Stroke and How Does It Affect Patients?
Strokes are one of the most common causes of locked-in syndrome. These strokes affect the brain stem. Doctors often call them pontine strokes because they specifically affect an area of the brain stem known as the pons. When a stroke disrupts blood flow to the pons, it prevents the brain from communicating with the spinal… Read More
How Does Locked-In Syndrome Affect the Person’s Life?
Because it causes near-global paralysis, takes away the ability to speak, and prevents a person from providing self-care, locked-in syndrome affects almost every aspect of a person’s life. Most people never regain meaningful movement or speech after a locked-in diagnosis. However, many patients report a relatively high quality of life despite living with the condition…. Read More
How Does Locked-In Syndrome Affect the Human Nervous System?
Locked-in syndrome is the outcome when an injury to the brain stem prevents the brain from communicating with the spinal cord and the rest of the nervous system. Most commonly, this type of injury occurs because of a stroke, but it may also be the result of a traumatic brain injury. Rarely, a tumor or… Read More
Do Patients With Locked-In Syndrome Experience Physical Pain?
Some people diagnosed with locked-in syndrome continue to feel pain and retain sensation throughout their body or in limited areas of their body. Every case of locked-in syndrome is different, especially when it comes to those with an incomplete injury. If you or a loved one has a locked-in diagnosis, their doctor will likely run… Read More
Can Hypo or Hyperglycemia Trigger an Acquired Brain Injury?
Both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia can cause brain injury. However, the way these two conditions cause neurological damage does differ. In general, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is much more dangerous. Extremely low blood sugar can do permanent damage and cause a severe acquired brain injury (ABI) in a short time. Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) also has… Read More