Abstract

PEREZ, Andrés Felipe  and  AGUDELO, Víctor Hugo. Neuropsychiatric Disorders Due to Traumatic Brain Injuries. rev.colomb.psiquiatr. [online]. 2007, vol.36, suppl.1, pp.40-51. ISSN 0034-7450.

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem, affecting more people everyday for various reasons (car accidents, falls, violence, sports), specially in countries like Colombia where morbimortality rates are truly alarming. The patient and caregivers are confronted with serious consequences such as neuropsychiatric disorders that impact heavily on the treatment, the rehabilitation process and the caregivers lives. Objective: To give a practical description of the main psychiatric disorders present after traumatic brain injuries together with available treatments, including also some of the physiopathological elements involved. Method: Review of current, well-known literature on the subject. Conclusions: Post-TBI patients exhibit subtle, although signifi cant, neuropsychological and neuroimaging anomalies, since they appear to be related to the symptoms patients describe. Cognitive oriented therapies have shown good results, and in fact, early education on how to manage discomfort following TBI diminishes the risk of presenting post-concussion syndrome.

Keywords : Brain injuries; depressive disorder; psychotic disorder; post-concussion syndrome.

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