Diagnosis and Compensation More Important Than Ever - TBI Is Linked to Earlier Onset of Alzheimer’s Disease in Victims

December 18, 2020, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

If you’ve been in a car accident, workplace accident, had a slip or fall or hit your head during sports you are may suffer a TBI. Whether it is a severe TBI or a mild concussion it is a form of brain damage. While we aren’t sure why some people suffer them more easily or more often, we do know that these injuries can have immediate effects as well as long term impacts on the brain.

Several studies of living people along with post mortem studies have confirmed that Alzheimer’s and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is common in those who have a history of TBI and that the onset of Alzheimer’s is several years earlier than in non-concussed individuals. While the research still has not identified why TBI leads to early dementia it is thought the plaque build-up caused by brain damage plays an important role in the development of the diseases and the associated symptoms.

Researchers are hoping to use the data to identify patients who are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s long before the symptoms begin to appear by analyzing the brain neurology for the early signs of disease. There are current drugs that can slow the progression of disease and hope for new developments that my stop disease progression.

The next steps in the research are to develop mitigation and intervention strategies for people at risk of dementia due to TBI. Not all people with TBI develop dementia and researchers also want to determine why that is.

The Northern Brain Injury Association estimates that:

• 452 people suffer a serious brain injury every day in Canada – that is about 165,000 serious TBI a year.
• This does not include concussion (mild TBI), military injuries or unreported cases.
• Tens of thousands become partially or permanently disabled.
• More than 11,000 Canadians die of TBI every year.
• Brain injury kills more people every year than cold and flu combined.
• Acquired brain injury is the leading cause of death or disability in Canadians under 40.
• Children and youth suffer 30% of all brain injuries.
• Acquired brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability in children in Canada.
• Indigenous Peoples suffer TBI at a rate of 4-5 times higher than the average.
• It’s estimated that 60-80% of the prison population in Canada has an untreated acquired brain injury.
• People with one brain injury are three times more likely to suffer subsequent brain injury and are eight times more likely to suffer other injuries as a result of their first injury.
• In Ontario 92% of men and 100% of women who sustain brain injury NEVER return to full-time work
   

If you or a loved one has sustained a traumatic brain injury as a result of a car accident, workplace accident, or a slip and fall, you should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as the long term impacts of brain injury can be devastating. You need someone in your corner to make sure you receive the benefits you need now and in the future. You can reach our team online, or by phone 1 (866) 414-4878 for a FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION.

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

It is important that you review your accident benefit file with one of our experienced personal injury / car accident lawyers to ensure that you obtain access to all your benefits which include, but are limited to, things like physiotherapy, income replacement benefits, vocational retraining and home modifications.