Traumatic brain injury has been linked to an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other brain diseases, such as dementia. While most people associate concussions and traumatic brain injuries with sports injuries and car accidents, many workplace accidents also result in brain injury. Due to the cumulative effect of traumatic brain injuries, it is important that Pennsylvania citizens record even mild head injuries that occur in the workplace.
Medical researchers have linked traumatic brain injuries and increased incidences or progression of brain disease mainly for individuals with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s, dementia and other brain diseases. However, because individuals might not know of their genetic predisposition, it is important that medical records document even minor incidences of head injury.
Degenerative brain disease is the only disease in the top ten causes of death that is not capable of being cured, prevented or slowed down. Currently, more than 5 million American’s suffer from Alzheimer’s and other degenerative brain diseases. One of the major risk factors has been found to be traumatic brain injury combined with a genetic predisposition for the disease.
The research compared results of war veterans who had suffered a concussion or other type of brain injury during deployment and found that individuals with a genetic predisposition to brain disease that had also suffered a concussion or other traumatic brain injury had thinning in certain areas of the brain and also exhibited increased instances of brain disease, including PTSD and memory loss. This study shows the importance of getting proper medical care and treatment after experiencing an on-the-job head injury. It may be useful for injured employees to seek legal counsel to ensure that their rights are protected and that they receive proper compensation for their losses.