In March, the Brain Injury Association of America promotes the observation of Brain Injury Awareness Month. Advocating for those with traumatic brain injury (TBI), the association tells us that:
- More than 5.3 million Americans are living with a permanent brain injury-related disability.
- 2.8 million Americans suffer a traumatic brain injury every year.
- Every brain injury is unique, including the circumstances that led to the injury, the care received, the survivor’s life before/after the injury and how the brain injury changes over time.
In short, there are many things that can impact the life of an individual with a brain injury. At Expert MRI, our focus is on the “care received” part, doing everything within our power to help patients receive the most accurate and thorough diagnosis possible following a traumatic brain injury.
It is important to note that not every imaging center is equipped to diagnose brain injury.
Many microstructural brain abnormalities are not visible on routine MRI. This is especially true with the smaller, diffuse axonal injuries (tearing of the brain’s long connecting nerve fibers) associated with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). As a result, the doctors at Expert MRI use some of the most cutting-edge techniques in brain imaging.
For example, diffusion tensor imaging, or DTI, is a special protocol that detects white matter fibers that connect multiple brain structures. This helps in mapping brain areas and allows our doctors to characterize microstructural differences, and is especially useful in identifying mild to severe traumatic brain injuries. We also employ techniques like susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI), vascular analysis, volumetric analysis and more to give doctors unique insight into a patient’s neurological condition so that they can provide the very best care.
Expert MRI thanks the Brain Injury Association of America for their important work creating awareness of TBI and the plight of individuals who suffer from brain injuries. We promise to continue to support their worthwhile goals by doing our part to ensure that accurately diagnosing these injuries remains one of our highest priorities.
