It is ironic that on the same day I receive a defense neuropsychological report stating, “Individuals who have sustained a mild traumatic brain injury typically recover from neuro cognitive deficits within 6-9 months after the time of injury” that I also receive the current issue of the Journal of Neuro Trauma. And in this current edition, they discuss “the chronic consequences of neuro trauma,” which was guest edited by Brent E. Masel and Douglas S. DeWitt.

As you might recall, Masel and DeWitt are the authors of the BIAA White Paper, “Traumatic Brain Injury: A Disease Process, Not an Event,” which was also published in the Journal of Neuro Trauma (27, 1529‑1540).

Included in is issue, there is an interesting article by Helen M. Bramlett and W. Dalton Dietrich entitled, “Long-Term Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury: Current Status of Potential Mechanisms of Injury and Neurological Outcomes.” In this article, the authors write, “In models of mild, moderate, and severe TBI, histopathological and behavioral studies have emphasized the progressive nature of the initial traumatic insult and the involvement of multiple pathophysiological mechanisms, including sustained injury cascades leading to prolonged motor and cognitive deficits.”

It is now well established in current literature that persons with mild traumatic brain injury do not all recover within the narrow 6-9 month range listed in the defense neuropsychological report I recently received. Unfortunately, many go on to suffer long term chronic consequences of mild traumatic brain injury.

If you are suffering from a traumatic brain injury, it is strongly recommended that you seek experienced legal counsel immediately.