Mild Brain Injury Sometimes, when the head is struck or moved violently there will be no brain injuries do not result in loss of consciousness and the person may not seem appear not to need to require medical care attention, but they may still cause. How the brain is injured Three separate processes work to injure the brain in a traumatic event: bruising (bleeding), tearing, and swelling. In a traumatic brain injury, the soft tissue of the brain is propelled against the very hard bone of the skull and then bounced backwards. The movement of the brain can result in tearing of brain tissue which breaks the connections between neurons. This happens on a microscopic level and may not show on standard medical tests. The brain can swell in the same way a damaged muscle does. This pressure pushes down on the brain and damages structures in the brain. If there is too much pressure, this can stop important structures that control breathing or the heart rate. Sometimes, doctors will install a “relief valve” to let off the excess pressure. © 2008 BIC |