Any child who suffers a head injury may be at risk of brain damage, but a new study has indicated that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may face a risk of longer-lasting disability in the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Mild to moderate head injuries can result from any number of accidents, including a motor vehicle accident, a slip and fall, or a sports-related accident, and this important new study shows that the adverse effects of such head injuries can be long-lasting for some children. If your child has suffered a head injury in Georgia, and you believe another person to be at fault, contact our personal injury attorneys at Rechtman & Spevak today for legal help. You may have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit against the allegedly negligent person or party, in order to ensure that your child receives the medical care he or she requires now and in the future.

Head Injuries May Lead to Disability

The head injury study was conducted by Dr. Christopher Bonfield, a neurosurgeon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian, and his fellow researchers, who examined the medical charts of youth from the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh who had ADHD and were diagnosed with a mild TBI between 2003 and 2010. The study authors found that children with ADHD were far more likely than children without the disorder to suffer a moderate disability after experiencing a mild brain injury from events such as falls, car accidents and injuries from high-impact sports. “This was a phenomenon that I had noticed in my own practice – some children with ADHD didn’t recover as well following a traumatic brain injury,” said study author Dr. Stephanie Greene, an assistant professor of neurological surgery at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Adverse Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries

According to the findings of the study, 25% of the children in the ADHD group who suffered a head injury experienced moderate disability, and 56% had completely recovered after a nearly six-month follow-up period. On the other hand, among the children without ADHD, only 2% suffered a moderate disability, and 84% had completely recovered after a significantly shorter follow-up period of seven weeks. In the study, moderate disability was defined as having residual problems with learning or functioning, or requiring supervision or help for physical or behavioral problems. Researchers involved in the brain injury study, which was published online in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics on June 25, found that some of the symptoms of TBIs are also symptoms of ADHD, including impaired memory and disinhibited behavior.

Contact Our Qualified Attorneys to File a Claim

Approximately 8% of children in the United States have ADHD, a neurological disorder characterized by being overactive, having problems focusing, and exhibiting poor impulse control, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prior to the latest study, previous research had linked several aspects of ADHD and traumatic brain injury, a condition that results in more than 7,000 deaths, 60,000 hospitalizations and 600,000 emergency room visits every year in the U.S. If your child has suffered a traumatic brain injury, as a result of a motor vehicle accident or another type of accident in Georgia, consult our reputable lawyers at Rechtman & Spevak to discuss your legal options. You may be entitled to reimbursement for your child’s injuries, medical treatment and long-term care, which you can pursue by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the person or party found at-fault in the accident.

Source: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/06/25/adhd-may-be-tied-to-longer-lasting-head-injury-study-says

Jaret A. Spevak
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Atlanta Personal Injury & Workers’ Compensation Attorney With 20+ Years Experience
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