A head injury can change your life in an instant. Not only is there physical recovery, but many people are left dealing with mood and behavioral changes, concentration issues, and memory lapses. Traditional treatments can help, but not everyone sees the progress they’d hoped for.
A newer option researchers are exploring is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that directly targets the areas of the brain impacted by injury. Here’s how TMS for a traumatic brain injury may bring renewed hope for those who’ve struggled to find relief.
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, happens when a blow, jolt, or penetrating injury to the head changes how the brain works. TBIs can range from mild concussions that go away with rest to severe injuries that cause long-term disability or permanent damage.
These injuries are sadly common. A recent study found that almost 10 million Americans sustained a TBI in the past year, including about 2.2% of children and 3.3% of adults.
Causes of TBIs
TBIs can happen in many different ways. Some of the most common causes of traumatic brain injuries include:
- Falls, especially among young children and older adults
- Sports-related injuries and accidents
- Motor vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian accidents
- Abuse-related injuries, such as intimate partner violence, shaken baby syndrome, or gunshot wounds
- Blast-related trauma from roadside bombs and other explosive devices, especially among military service members
Regardless of the cause, TBIs of all kinds can seriously impair your ability to function day to day.
Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury
Depending on the severity of a traumatic brain injury, symptoms may appear right away, or they may not appear for days or weeks.
A mild TBI, or concussion, doesn’t always cause loss of consciousness, but if it does, it typically lasts 30 minutes or less. Symptoms may include:
- Memory gaps about the cause of the injury or events leading up to it
- Confusion or disorientation
- Trouble learning or remembering new information
- Difficulty finding words
- Headache
- Dizziness or balance problems
- Blurred vision
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Nausea or vomiting
- Ringing in the ears
- Trouble speaking clearly
- Fatigue or changes in motivation
- Mood changes, irritability, or sleep problems
Most mild TBI symptoms go away within days or weeks, but in some cases they can last months.
Moderate TBIs, on the other hand, cause unconsciousness that lasts longer than 30 minutes but less than 24 hours. Severe TBIs involve unconsciousness for more than a full day. Symptoms are the same as a mild TBI, but they tend to be more intense and last longer.
Severe injuries may also result in complications like brain hemorrhages or swelling, which can cause neurological problems such as localized weakness, sensory loss, or changes in motor function. In these cases, extra rehabilitation and support are usually needed.
How Brain Injuries Affect Brain Function and Recovery
Life can feel very different after a traumatic brain injury. Tasks that were once simple, like following a conversation or remembering directions, start to require more energy and effort. Some common changes people notice after a TBI include:
- Trouble focusing or paying attention when there’s a lot going on
- Slower thinking or problem-solving, or rushing into decisions without considering the options
- Difficulty remembering new information or events
- Challenges with speech, like finding the right word or keeping up in conversation
- Emotional changes, such as irritability or depression
While many of these changes come directly from the brain injury itself, they can sometimes be caused by the losses that are experienced afterwards. These can include having to take time off of work or needing to rely on others for support, resulting in feelings of grief, anger, or sadness.
How Does TMS Therapy Treat Traumatic Brain Injuries?
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is currently being studied as a way to wake up the underactive regions of the brain responsible for memory, attention, and problem solving and encourage the brain to rewire itself. By delivering gentle magnetic pulses to targeted areas, TMS promotes neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to create new connections and strengthen old ones. This is important for recovery because it allows other parts of the brain to take over when one area has been damaged.
Researchers have found that low-frequency TMS to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex can improve functions that many people with TBI struggle with, such as:
- Attention and concentration
- Working memory
- Executive skills like planning and decision-making
What to Expect From TMS Brain Injury Treatment
TMS is an outpatient procedure, so there’s no need for hospital stays or anesthesia. Treatment involves a 20-40 minute session, 5 days a week, for several weeks.
During each session, patients sit in a chair while a magnetic coil is placed on the scalp to deliver pulses to specific brain regions. You stay awake and alert the entire time. Many describe it as a tapping or tingling sensation on the scalp, but it isn’t painful.
Research on TMS and Brain Injuries
TMS isn’t FDA-approved for treating brain injuries; however, early research is showing some promise. Studies and clinical reports suggest it may help reduce cognitive and emotional symptoms that stick around after an injury. Here’s what the evidence shows so far:
- Repetitive TMS (rTMS) may help with a wide range of post-TBI symptoms, demonstrating potential benefits for depression, dizziness, central pain, and visual neglect.
- In one case study, a patient reported better attention and processing speed after 2 weeks of treatment. Impulsivity continued to decline by week 4.
- A review of 7 randomized controlled trials found patients receiving rTMS experienced significant improvements in cognitive functioning compared to control groups.
Find Relief With Cura Behavioral Health
When you have a traumatic brain injury, some days bring progress, while others bring setbacks, and it’s easy to feel discouraged when recovery doesn’t go the way you’d hoped. That’s why you need a compassionate team who cares in your corner.
At Cura Behavioral Health, we bring together advanced treatments like TMS with the kind of care that sees the whole person, not just the injury. We look at where you are right now in your recovery and build a plan around your unique needs.
If you’re ready to explore a new way to improve your TBI symptoms, contact us today. Let’s make your recovery possible together.
Sources:
- Prevalence of traumatic brain injury among adults and children – Annals of Epidemiology
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – Alzheimer’s Association
- Understanding TBI: Part 2 – Brain injury impact on individuals functioning – MSKTC
- Low frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation for cognitive recovery after traumatic brain injury: A case report – Psychiatry Research Case Reports
- The use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) following traumatic brain injury (TBI): A scoping review – Neuropsychological Rehabilitation
- Efficacy of transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment in reducing neuropsychiatric symptomatology after traumatic brain injury – Frontiers in Neurology
- Use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in traumatic brain injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials – Surgical Neurology International
