Understanding Neurological Signs and Symptoms of Brain Damage

Brain damage is a condition in which an individual's brain is injured as the result of an illness, physical trauma (such as a car accident), or a substance that affects the brain (such as a drug or a hazardous chemical). Brain damage can cause an individual to experience a number of neurological symptoms that vary, depending on the severity and location of the damage.

Behavior

• An individual who has suffered brain damage may exhibit irritability, an inability to control personal urges, behavior that is inappropriate during certain situations (such as laughing or crying), or a desire to act hastily.

Emotional Response

• A brain injury may make it more difficult for an individual to cope with stress, or cause an individual to become aggressive, anxious or depressed.

Motor Control

• Brain damage may impair an individual's ability to move (by causing paralysis or muscle problems such as tremors or seizures), his balance or even his coordination.

Perception

• A serious brain injury may alter the way an person's senses function, the way she feels pain, her ability to concentrate on a subject, or possibly her ability to perceive time.

Speech

• An individual with a brain injury may speak more slowly than he did before his injury, slur his speech, or demonstrate an inability to remember or comprehend certain words or topics.