Many people in Oklahoma are diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, due to a fall, playing sports or being injured in motor vehicle accidents. A new study has found that people with TBIs are also much more likely to be diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, suggesting a link between these two disorders.
Researchers conducted phone interviews with 3,993 adults in Ontario, Canada. Of those who had been diagnosed with a TBI at some point, 5.9 percent also reported having previously been diagnosed with ADHD. An additional 6.6 percent who had no previous ADHD diagnosis answered questions in such a way that they were scored as positive for ADHD during their phone interviews as well.
Experts believe that the changes in the brain due to a TBI may make the person more likely to also develop ADHD. They also indicated it is possible that people who have ADHD may be more susceptible to involvement in accidents that could lead to suffering from a TBI. The researchers said that people who have suffered a TBI may also need to be screened for ADHD, so that if they have developed the disorder, they can receive treatment for it as well.
Brain traumas can often be the result of a contact sport injury or a motor vehicle accident. In some cases, they are caused by an error during delivery or other medical negligence. If the latter is the case, the victim or the victim’s family may want to speak with a medical malpractice attorney in order to determine whether there are grounds for seeking damages through a lawsuit filed against the responsible parties.