May 28, 2019 in News Brain Injury

Brain Injury: New method predicts which car accidents cause brain injuries

Car accidents are the leading cause of fatal and traumatic brain injuries among 15- to 34-year-olds in the United States, according to a 2013 report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Brain injuries from car accidents are similarly prevalent in Canada, as any Ontario car accident lawyer can attest. But a new method developed by researchers at the University of Arizona may be able to reduce fatalities by predicting which car accidents cause brain injuries. The technique, outlined in the journal Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, fuses experimental and computational approaches to brain injury research. Its developers believe it may lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment, which improves outcomes. Samy Missoum, an aerospace and mechanical engineering professor and director of the Computational Design Optimization of Engineering Systems (CODES) Laboratory, and graduate student Seyed Saeed Ahmadisoleymani used experimental data to simulate the movement of crash test dummies during collisions. They then applied that data to a computer model of the brain to form. The experiment forms the basis of a method to eventually "calculate the probability of TBI after a car crash," per Science Daily. The method can even account for critical pieces of missing data, including collision speed, impact angle, and information about the injury victim's brain. "From a scientific point of view, the novelty here is how we're combining computational data and experimental data, while also accounting for several sources of uncertainty," Missoum told Science Daily. "From a practical point of view, the method provides a tool to determine the probability of TBI." Missoum envisions his method being used in accident scene tools by first responders. "Let's say a paramedic arrives at the scene of a car accident," he said. "They could input the information into a tool and say, 'Okay, based on the characteristics of this accident, this person is going to have a 70 to 80 per cent probability of severe traumatic brain injury.'" The method, which is still in its infancy, may also be useful from a legal perspective. The earlier a brain injury victim is diagnosed, the earlier his or her family can reach out to a car accident lawyer to initiate the necessary legal processes. If you or a member of your family have experienced a serious injury in a traffic collision, contact Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer today. Our team can help you understand your legal options and decide on the best possible path towards recovery.

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