Brain Injury and Behavior: Aggravation to Aggression
Of all the behaviors patients develop following traumatic brain injury, aggression is one of the most common. It can present in a wide spectrum of behaviors ranging from simple annoyance or anger, to extremes of physical violence. In one of the more recent studies reviewed, it was apparent that some of the lower level behaviors, such as irritability, were not being recognized as a potential psychological component of brain injury. This additional data was being largely dismissed as a patient’s expression of mood, and was not being treated directly as a result (Yang, et al., 2012). Johansson et al. (2008) added that there may be a biological and social connection, which might determine if …show more content…
This study proceeded with further documenting the lower levels of aggression, agitation and anger exhibited by patients with traumatic brain injury. The patients studied were chosen from admissions to an acute trauma center that provides both inpatient and outpatient programs for brain injury patients, as well as rehabilitation programs. Information was obtained through the hospital registry and patient medical records. The population studied was comprised of adults ranging in age from 18 to over 56 years of age, predominately Caucasian males, with additional demographics represented. This study found that 41% of these patients showed some level of agitation behaviors during their treatment in the acute care ward that had to be directly managed in the process of treatment. Behaviors ranged from levels of increased impulsiveness, interfering with medical devices, restlessness, shortened attention spans and uncooperative behavior. Many of these behaviors required additional management, ranging from increased supervision, up to use of restraints and sedation. Those with more severe behaviors were often discharged to the rehabilitation facility for additional care, while those that did not were simply discharged home. These results also indicated that agitation behaviors were having a direct negative impact on patients’ recovery …show more content…
It is evident that many factors can impact a patient’s behaviors following a brain injury, including age and severity of the injury itself (Singh et al., 2014). Early detection and treatment, especially of the milder presentations of aggravation and anger, could determine more positive recovery outcomes (McNett, Sarver, & Wilczewski, 2012). While there is conflicting information in regards to predisposition to aggression pre-injury directly influencing post-injury behaviors, the more recent case study presented the information as potentially useful for diagnostic purposes and could help provide a more accurate assessment of a patient’s mental state (Singh et al., 2014) Limitations of these studies A primary limitation of these studies is the small number of patients studied, as it only provides a narrow view of the overall population. Each of these studies relied on a population from a single medical facility or institution, again limiting the population available for study. Most of these studies were limited to data collected from patients with severe brain injuries, so control groups were non-existent or limited in scope. There would be further limitation based on the wide range of definitions and diagnosis for lesser presentation of aggravation or
Of all the behaviors patients develop following traumatic brain injury, aggression is one of the most common. It can present in a wide spectrum of behaviors ranging from simple annoyance or anger, to extremes of physical violence. In one of the more recent studies reviewed, it was apparent that some of the lower level behaviors, such as irritability, were not being recognized as a potential psychological component of brain injury. This additional data was being largely dismissed as a patient’s expression of mood, and was not being treated directly as a result (Yang, et al., 2012). Johansson et al. (2008) added that there may be a biological and social connection, which might determine if …show more content…
This study proceeded with further documenting the lower levels of aggression, agitation and anger exhibited by patients with traumatic brain injury. The patients studied were chosen from admissions to an acute trauma center that provides both inpatient and outpatient programs for brain injury patients, as well as rehabilitation programs. Information was obtained through the hospital registry and patient medical records. The population studied was comprised of adults ranging in age from 18 to over 56 years of age, predominately Caucasian males, with additional demographics represented. This study found that 41% of these patients showed some level of agitation behaviors during their treatment in the acute care ward that had to be directly managed in the process of treatment. Behaviors ranged from levels of increased impulsiveness, interfering with medical devices, restlessness, shortened attention spans and uncooperative behavior. Many of these behaviors required additional management, ranging from increased supervision, up to use of restraints and sedation. Those with more severe behaviors were often discharged to the rehabilitation facility for additional care, while those that did not were simply discharged home. These results also indicated that agitation behaviors were having a direct negative impact on patients’ recovery …show more content…
It is evident that many factors can impact a patient’s behaviors following a brain injury, including age and severity of the injury itself (Singh et al., 2014). Early detection and treatment, especially of the milder presentations of aggravation and anger, could determine more positive recovery outcomes (McNett, Sarver, & Wilczewski, 2012). While there is conflicting information in regards to predisposition to aggression pre-injury directly influencing post-injury behaviors, the more recent case study presented the information as potentially useful for diagnostic purposes and could help provide a more accurate assessment of a patient’s mental state (Singh et al., 2014) Limitations of these studies A primary limitation of these studies is the small number of patients studied, as it only provides a narrow view of the overall population. Each of these studies relied on a population from a single medical facility or institution, again limiting the population available for study. Most of these studies were limited to data collected from patients with severe brain injuries, so control groups were non-existent or limited in scope. There would be further limitation based on the wide range of definitions and diagnosis for lesser presentation of aggravation or