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Traumatic Brain Injury And Post Concussive Syndrome

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Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Concussive Syndrome Neurological Degeneration Dementia produces physical changes in the brain and some areas shrink and other widen. Dementia is a term used to describe symptoms of mental or communication impairment found in a variety of brain conditions including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In approximately 20% of the cases dementia can be reversed with the other 80% being irreversible. Dementia is generally marked by memory loss, forgetting appointments, forgetting the day of the week, which are all signs of cognitive impairment. Irritability and language difficulties are manifested in people with dementia. (Alzheimer’s Association, n.d.). The impact of TBI on the development of AD is a controversial topic that has caused spirted debate (Jellinger, Paulus, Wroklage, & Litvan, 2001). A study of World War II veterans showed that moderate and severe TBI in early adulthood, that was rated by the duration of the unconscious state or posttraumatic amnesia was associated with increased risk for AD. (Jellinger et al., 2001). Evidence is mounting that a correlation exists between TBI and the likelihood of the development of a neurodegenerative disease such as AD (Weiner et al, 2013). The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced countless cases of TBI. It is estimated that since 2003 more than 200,000 of the men and women deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have been exposed to concussive events that have resulted in a diagnosis of TBI (DOD,

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