What Is Coup Contrecoup Brain Injury?
One of the most serious types of traumatic brain injury is called the coup contrecoup (pronounced as coop contre coo). It gets its name from two different types of traumatic brain injury called coup and contrecoup. A coup injury occurs under the site of impact with an object while a contrecoup is an injury that occurs on the opposite side of the site of impact. So, a contrecoup is an injury that occurs both under the site of impact with an object and on the opposite side of the site of impact. These injuries cause bruising of the brain despite them being non-penetrating injuries.
How Severe Are These Traumatic Brain Injuries?
A coup brain injury occurs directly below the site of impact. These injuries happen when a moving object strikes the head which means you can pinpoint the site of impact by looking for surface bruise, cuts and other marks. However, it is possible to get a coup injury when a vehicle accelerates or decelerates forcefully.
The bruising on the brain occurs in a contrecoup injury because the force on the site of impact causes the brain to jolt backwards hitting the skull on the opposite side of the impact. It is this contact between the brain and the sides of the skull that causes tearing of the internal lining, blood vessels, and tissues which can lead to bleeding or swelling of the brain. Contrecoup injuries often occur in motorcycle crashes and motor vehicle rollover accidents.
A coup contrecoup injury is severe because it affects both sides of the brain. That means that bruising occurs under the site of the impact and on the opposite side of the impact. This injury is more likely to cause permanent brain damage because it is often misdiagnosed.
Common Symptoms Of Brain Injury
Since the symptoms of brain injury can show up days or weeks after the injury, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible after you receive a blow to the head. Failing to see a doctor can result in long-term brain damage. The common symptoms of brain injury include:
- Cognitive deficits: signs include confusion, coma, trouble paying attention, loss of sense of time and space, memory problems and amnesia, and more
- Perceptual or sensory deficits: signs of this include changes in your five senses, trouble understanding where your limbs are, vision problems and more.
- Motor problems: signs include poor balance or weakness, tremors, delays in getting started, difficulty swallowing, coordination problems and more.
- Language and communication problems: includes difficulty speaking, reading , forming sentences and more.
People that have severe or penetrating brain injuries can develop traumatic epilepsy.
Traumatic Brain Injuries Are Expensive
Apart from being catastrophic to your health, a TBI can drain you finances especially if your injury leads to long-term disability. You will have to spend money on your medical bills and also spend on re-learning and career re-training. You should consider suing the person or entity that caused your injury so that you don’t have to pay for medical care and other needs out of pocket. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you file the lawsuit and help you calculate the amount you may get as compensation.