Relearning Everything (abbreviated selection) (2008)
Producer: jarrod whaley
This is an abbreviated version of the documentary Relearning Everything, which offers an intimate and truthful portrayal of the lives of individuals recovering from traumatic brain injuries, a population served locally by the Chattanooga Area Brain Injury Association. Recovery is revealed to be a lifelong process in which many of the most basic tasks we all take for granted must be remastered—and in the strength and determination of these survivors is a powerful message of hope which applies to us all.
Production Company: oak street films
Creative Commons license: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), also called intracranial injury, occurs when physical trauma injures the brain. TBI is one of two subsets of acquired brain injury (ABI, brain damage that is not congenital); the other subset of ABI is non-traumatic brain injury, or injuries that do not involve external mechanical force (e.g. stroke, meningitis, insufficient oxygen). TBI is usually classified as mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of loss of consciousness, loss of memory, and score on a neurological scale following the injury. TBI can result from a closed head injury or a penetrating head injury and may occur in a specific location or may be diffuse, occurring over a more widespread area. Head injury usually refers to TBI, but is broader because it can involve damage to structures other than the brain such as the scalp and skull.
TBI is a major cause of death and disability worldwide[1] and the leading killer of people under age 45. Major causes of TBI include falls, vehicle accidents, and violence. Prevention includes using seat belts and helmets when riding bicycles or motorcycles and during some sports.
In addition to the damage caused at the moment of injury, brain trauma initiates a variety of chemical events within the brain that contribute to damage in the hours and days following the injury. This so-called "secondary injury" presents the opportunity to discover new treatments that limit the damage caused by TBI by interfering with these damaging cascades.
Imaging techniques such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are used for diagnosis. In mild cases, TBI may require no treatment at all; in severe ones, medications and emergency surgery may be required to lower the pressure within the skull. Physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy may be employed for rehabilitation. TBI can cause a host of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social effects. Outcome can be anything from complete recovery to permanent disability or death.
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