PSYC 3403 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Traumatic Brain Injury, Phineas Gage, Substance Abuse

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 3403
• Professor: John Weekes

Document Summary

Closed tbi: skull remains intact and therefore there is a risk of internal bleeding. Open tbi: skull is penetrated and damage is more focal. An example of this is a gunshot wound. Tbi severity can be measured by time spent unconscious. Causes of tbi include things such as: falls, road accidents, sports, and assaults. Childhood: every age and sex at equal risk. Adolescence to adulthood: males are at higher risk. Geographic region: urban youth are at higher risk. Alcohol and substance abuse: higher risk in adolescence and young adulthood. Developmental stage: causes vulnerability to less developed skills. Neuroplasticity: brain"s ability to adapt and rewire its circuit. Damage from tbi can sometimes be managed in the brain as a result of neuroplasticity. Phineas gage: named so after a man working on a railroad survived an injury where a metal rod was lodged through his head, destroying most of the left frontal lobe.