do i have a TBI?
 

Hello,

I am a 31 year old man who has been in about 12 physical altercations in the past 16 years. All of them but two due to alcohol. 8 of them since I was 20. 4 of them in one year alone (at 24). the last one being a year ago, where I took about 5-6 punches to the head, then was kicked in the head (like a soccer ball) twice while down - that description fits most of these altercations - aka me getting my butt beat bad.
All-in-all, I've probably taken about 80 blows to my face/head. Some (brutally) harder than others. Never been knocked-out, but have been brought to the ground by repeated blows. I am sure I suffered a concussion in at least 6 of these altercations (but how can i be sure? i was always hungover too & was never seen by a medic).
Add to all of this damage the alcohol consumption (constant), & i feel I have cooked up a recipe for neurological disaster.
I find my thoughts are slower. I can't think on the spot as quickly as i used to. I am very random/veering-off in my thought patterns. Memory is foggy (actually long-term memory is fine, short-term memory is horrible). Concentration is off (find myself in a daze). My mood is often depressed, to the point of wanting to cry sometimes. Angry at the drop of a hat. Hate social situations (feel jealous/envious of those who are cognitively "with it" - have natural smarts/charisma). constant ringing in my ears & a feeling of a "heavy head" ---.
now i finally hear of this CTE and my heart is racing/no sleep. worried i have hit the big-time. i am at the perfect age for it to start (30's).
all of this because of alcohol. not like I was a UFC fighter/boxer (a reason, at least). it's horrible.
any thoughts?
is there a way to diagnose brain damage?
any ways to slow down degeneration (if it exists)?

thanks.

pete r.

Welcome to NeuroTalk. The symptoms you mentioned all fit within the Post Concussion Syndrome realm. There is no way to accurately determine if they are the result of the beatings you have had but all the evidence points that way. Finding the cause is meaningless because only the symptoms can be treated, regardless of the cause.

Nobody has linked PCS with CTE directly so worrying about CTE is not warranted yet. Most who develop CTE manifest it in their late 30's to early 40's.

Either way, you can not change your past. You can only move forward. So,,,, how do you move forward. I think you know the biggest change you need to make. Regarding minimizing your symptoms and providing your brain the best opportunity to heal, I suggest you read the Vitamins sticky at the top. Brain healthy nutrition has helped many. Alcohol is considered a poison to injured brains.

If you have access to getting a Neuro Psychological Assessment done, it can help you understand your abilities and disabilities.

And, anxiety works against healing or improvement. Finding ways to resolve your anxieties and reduce stress will be beneficial.

My best to you.

Mark - - - thanks for the response.
I really hope that I don't get/already have CTE (i thought the more concussions = bigger probability that you'll get it?). All because of my own drunken stupidity. It's surreal & disturbing to think of the sheer amount of violence I've been involved in because of my addiction. The abuse I've put on my body & mind.
I hope to get in to see a neurologist & go for neuro-psychological testing. also hopefully a fMRI.
I can deal with static damage, but the thought of it being a degenerative/progressive one is absolutely horrifying.
I am going to make the most concerted of efforts to quit the drinking & eat as healthy as possible (and try and minimize stress).

I doubt an fMRI will be as much help as an NPA. You have as much likelihood of your problems to being due to alcohol as the trauma. So, ending alcohol is your best move now. The only way to tell if your condition is deteriorating is by having an NPA and another in 5 or 10 years or so. Deterioration progresses very slowly.

Becoming overly anxious about your health problem can haunt you in the long-run. A lot of people your age experience a crisis at this point in your life. I'm not trying to second guess you, I just want you to make sure there aren't any other stress causers in your life.

As Mark wisely mentioned, if you are extremely concerned about your neurological well-being, consider a neuro-psychological evaluation performed by a certified neuro-psychologist. They are quite expensive, but they are a good thing to consider if you are concerned about your mental fitness.

Avoid alcohol or any mind altering substance. Better yet eliminate them. Also, it is wise to avoid contact sports. If sports are a must, tone them down.

If you don't experience any problems reading, read lots of books.

Also, do you experience anxiety/dizziness/disorientation in crowds and in confined spaces (like bars and restaurants)? If so, this could explain your problems with groups and short-term memory issues.

It is quite common for people with acquired or traumatic brain injuries to have attention issues when they're disoriented.

why wouldn't a fMRI be as helpful? isn't it usually used in conjunction with NPA?
Deterioration progresses slowly in CTE? I thought the onset is like mid-30's (for the group who experiences cognitive problems first) and then the process is fairly fast/insidious?

you really think with that much damage done to my brain via blows that the alcohol is as much to blame?

sorry, not being sarcastic here! (have to stress that). just desperate.

also, i live in Canada (so costs might not be as high/exist at all - - - will have to look into it.)

thanks, Mark.

thank you for your response.
i am quitting alcohol. hopefully this helps me! luckily i don't play sports - - - i just walk (a lot).

i have problem reading in terms of concentration - - - have to re-read paragraphs/words for it to sink in. . . but i will continue on with it, as it's something i enjoy.

I have lived with trauma induced brain dysfunctions for decades. I lost a great amount of memory function after concussions in 1995, 1999 and 2001. My functions were measured in 2002, 2007, and 2014. My decreased functions have stayed the same over that period of time.

The brain starts an age related deterioration in the 40's.

Studies suggest that alcohol diminishes the brain's ability to heal and grow new brain cells. So, if you mix injury with a decreased ability to heal due to alcohol, alcohol is involved in the problem. Some have compared getting badly drunk to suffering a concussion. The toxicity of the alcohol can cause a similar cascade of events in the brain. Encephalopathy can result form liver damage from alcohol.

In everything I have read about fMRI's, they are used for research with little value for treatment oriented diagnoses. In the proper hands, they may be able to suggest CTE but you would need to find a researcher familiar with CTE and fMRI's. I have never heard of an fMRI being used with NPA except in a research setting.

CTE effects everybody differently based on a wide variety of injury profiles. It has been seen in early 20's. Here is a brief description of the progression. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/ma...iclekey=157953
Absent continuing trauma, it usually progresses slowly.

Rather than being concerned about what could happen in the future, I think you should be considering what you can do now.

thanks again for the response. yeah, it appears it is all research-oriented.
bah. i really hope i don't have CTE from all this trauma. you really think it's more likely that it is just PCS? - - - I guess CTE is rare, right?
anyway. thanks again!

Would CTE vs PCS change anything ? Either way, you need to take better care of your brain. For now, it is definitely PCS. In 20 years, maybe it will be CTE.

CTE is not a progressive disease. It is a manifestation of repeatedly killing off brain cells such that brain function has deteriorated. Then age related decline kicks in and makes it worse.

I am 60 years old and have been stable for 15 years.