Contrecoup Trauma Essay Example
Contrecoup trauma is a kind of injury that occurs on the opposite side of the brain when the skull hits a stationary object. The trauma that appears where the head hits an object is called a coup trauma. It is worth mentioning that a coup trauma is often a result of a moving object hitting a stationary head whereas contrecoup trauma occurs when a moving head hits a stationary object. This kind of brain injury is known to be focal which means that a specific part of the brain is being affected by it contrary to a diffuse injury which affects an area of the brain. The mechanism of contrecoup trauma is not explored in details. Some believe that it is primarily caused by abrupt deceleration of the brain and the resulting inertia (Stoler & Hill, 2013). Others note that the density of cerebrospinal fluid could explain the reason why a trauma occurs on the opposite side of the brain (Kaufman, 2017). There is also a point of view which states that when the skull bends inwards as a result of a hit, it propels the brain to the opposite side of the skull and it bounced off. In the majority of the cases, lower parts of the frontal lobes as well as front parts of the temporal lobes are affected by this kind of injury. However, a trauma that features a similar mechanism can also occur in other parts of the body such as the lungs, the lens of the eyes as well as bones. That is why it is the unique nature of the injury that should be taken into consideration.Contrecoup Trauma Essay Example
Countercoup trauma is a kind of head injury which appears on the opposite side of the brain when one’s head hits an object (Stoler & Hill, 2013). The important point to make with this regard is that contrecoup trauma may or may not be associated with its opposite – coup trauma. Therefore, the latter will not necessarily be detected or serves as an irreplaceable prerequisite. Speaking of terminology, one should be able to differentiate them clear. A coup injury is generally caused by a moving object to a stationary head with the skull bending slightly inwards. On the other hand, a contrecoup trauma is often found in the cases when the object was stationary and the head was moving. Another signficant point to make is that contrecoup trauma is a kind of injury that is generally characterized as focal. This means that a particular part of the brain will be affected by it. This is the complete opposite of diffuse injuries were several parts of the brain are affected.Contrecoup Trauma Essay Example
There is still a debate regarding what causes a contrecoup trauma. One of the theories suggests that abrupt deceleration of the brain, coupled with inertia is what causing it (Baltan, 2016). This explains the close connection to coup trauma as it is expected that the former will appear before the later. Another theory suggests that cerebrospinal fluid is responsible for this injury due to variations of its density (Kaufman, 2017). It is suggested that when a person hits one’s head, the fluid goes to the opposite side of the skull and damages the brain by affecting it more than it normally would. This explains the reason why this kind of trauma always occurs on the opposite side of the head. Finally, there is a theory which states that during an injury, the skull bends inwards slightly. Though this happens only for a moment, this impulse is enough to set brain in motion. This means that the brain will be propelled to the opposite side of the skull and bounce off it (Kaufman, 2017). As one can clearly see, there is no single way to explain the manner in which this injury occurs for sure since it is almost impossible to capture moment of its emergence Contrecoup Trauma Essay Example
In the majority of the cases, contrecoup traumas are found in lower parts of frontal lobes and frontal parts of the temporal lobes. This location of the injuries correlates with the places that are most likely to be hit. In other words, the nature of the injury is determined by the point where the head was hit. Nevertheless, it is essential to keep in mind that contrecoup trauma is not something that can only happen to a brain of a person. There are instances when the similar injury was found in the lungs, the lens of the eyes, and even bones. Therefore, it is critical to focus one’s attention on the unique nature of this particular injury and on the part of the body where it is most likely to occur.Contrecoup Trauma Essay Example