Brain Stem Injury

The lower part of the human brain that connects the brain to the spinal cord is called brain stem. Though, being small in size, it has a very important role to play in our body. The brain stem controls digestion, breathing, heartbeat, facial movements and arousal functions like getting awake or being alert, and consciousness. It also controls the involuntary muscles like heart and stomach. All the information that is processed in the brain and the messages from the organs to the brain and vice versa are passed through brain stem. Thus, the brain stem is a connector between the brain and other organs of our body. The brain stem is made up of three parts that include the midbrain, the medulla and the pons. All these parts of brain stem have special functions to perform that together contribute to the overall functioning of brain stem. As the brain stem is responsible for all the vital functions of our body, any injury to it can be life-threatening. Further discussion on brain stem injury is given below.

What is Brain Stem Injury?

Injury to the brain stem can lead to permanent damage, since the brain stem regulates almost all the daily activities of our body. Basic body functions like breathing and heartbeat can get disrupted, due to a brain stem injury. Thus, brain stem injury is a very severe health problem. Any damage to the brain can be directly related to an injury to the brain stem and hence, the symptoms are alike. Trauma or swelling in the brain are common causes of brain stem injury. When brain swells due to some reason, it leads to the compression of the brain stem which is then injured. Some of the brain stem injury symptoms are listed as below.

• Dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing food and water
• Sleep apnea and insomnia
• Difficulty in breathing and speech
• Vertigo, i.e. feeling of nausea and dizziness
• Difficulty in balance and movement

If the reason of brain stem injury is trauma, then the consequences can lead to a permanent change in physical and mental conditions of a person. Some of the severe consequences of brain stem injury are:

• Loss of consciousness
• Loss or change of memory
• Paralysis
• Vegetative state

Severe brain stem injury can also cause sudden cardiac arrest or respiratory disorder. A person can also get paralyzed due to brain stem injury. Paralysis takes place because the brain stem connects the spinal cord and brain and hence, any injury to the brain stem can affect the spinal cord also. To diagnose whether paralysis is due to brain stem injury, usually a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is performed. In few cases, a patient may recover but the recovery completely depends on the severity of the injury. Though, there are instances of a person entering a comatose state; usually, this happens, when almost all parts of the brain are injured, and in very rare cases, when only the brain stem is injured.

Brain stem injury is a very fatal health condition that can change one's memory, paralyze or change one's personality. The treatment required for brain stem injury is very expensive and causes serious life-long hardship to the family of the affected person along with emotional and psychological problems. It surely makes life tragic, and hence, a victim who has suffered a brain stem injury due to the negligence of another person is entitled to monetary compensation.

Dealing with brain stem injury is very difficult. Brain stem is very susceptible to injury, since it is present at rear part of our neck. It is estimated that every year almost two million brain stem injuries occur and very few cases recover from the injury.