Traumatic brain injury can be life-changing and devastating. Each year, over 1.7 million people in West Virginia and across the country experience brain injuries, and the most common causes are car accidents and slip-and-fall incidents. Around 288,000 people are taken to the hospital while 50,000 people lose their lives each year. Scientists are investigating methods that could save accident victims’ lives and address some of the long-term consequences of trauma to the brain. According to researchers at the University of Texas, an injection may be able to offset some of the most dangerous effects of a TBI. This experimental treatment is designed to stop abnormal electrical activity in the brain shortly after a traumatic accident.

By reducing electrical activity, the injection could prevent people from experiencing seizures. Seizures are linked to long-term damage after a brain injury. The treatment works by activating proteins that interfere with seizure-causing electrical impulses. In mice, researchers found that the injection reduced brain damage almost to the levels of mice that did not suffer a traumatic brain injury. The treatment has not yet been used on humans.

Head and brain injuries are the third most common cause of death or serious disability nationwide. While traumatic brain injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents and falls are some of the most common, there are other prominent causes of head injuries. For example, some contact sports, like football, have been heavily linked to long-term brain damage and chronic traumatic encelephopathy, which can lead to Alzheimer’s disease. Other researchers are investigating the effects of head impacts on soccer on players’ brains.

While treatments are being developed, head injuries can be some of the most catastrophic effects of a car accident. People injured due to someone else’s negligence MAY consult with a personal injury lawyer about their options to pursue compensation.