Traumatic Brain Injury - Hormone Dysfunction Syndrome
     
DTI a form of MRI can now detect damage to the nerve tracts that connect one portion of the brain to another. This is how we loose higher functioning when there is interruption of these tracts. The injury that causes this can progress for 10 years if not longer. That is why symptoms may not be present initially but over time can develop into what one might reference as psychological issues.  By that time, the injury that precipitated the damage has been forgotten and the individual is usually treated as a psychiatric patient being placed on anti-depressant that really do not seem to work. 

This is an example of DTI-MRI.
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    The impact on normal hormonal production in apparently health individuals who have sustained a minor Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) can be life altering. The perception that only intense forms of trauma can precipitate hormonal deficiencies or insufficiencies is greatly in error. Simple trauma such as an auto accident, amusement part rides, and jarring of the head can lead to singular or multiple hormone deficiencies.  Sports related TBI have now become a daily discussion on the major cable channels.  We started discussing this in 2004 and then on ESPN in January 2007.

    The only way to diagnose if a singular head injury or years of subtle head injuries has caused hormone deficiency/insufficiency is though specific laboratory testing.  Once the test results are seen it will be the matter of interpretation of the results that will make the major difference.  We still see patients who have signature levels of  TBI and they are not being treated. Onces they recieve treatment the difference is obvious.  

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