Organic Brain Syndrome (OBS) is a type of brain dysfunction that is caused by an illness that cannot be characterized as psychiatric. How this syndrome is treated will vary depending on the underlying cause. The various treatments can include:
- Bed rest to promote healing
- Physical or occupational therapy
- Pain medication and/or antibiotics
- Brain surgery in cases where the brain is severely damaged
Organic Brain Syndrome is sometimes used interchangeably with a neurocognitive disorder or chronic organic brain syndrome. OBS can be temporary or permanent.
Causes
OBS cases can be caused by injuries or diseases that affect the tissue of the brain. They can also be caused by a hormonal or chemical imbalance or abnormality in the body. For example, exposure to toxic materials or abnormalities developing the brain as a result of age can cause such disorders.
This syndrome can also be caused by traumatic injuries from a car accident, assault, fall, or other accident. After these events, the injured person can have dangerously low amounts of oxygen or high amounts of carbon dioxide in their body, blood clots, brain hemorrhage, and other damage that can lead to OBS.
Factors that can contribute to OBS can also include alcohol or metabolic disorders such as liver, kidney, thyroid disease, or vitamin deficiencies. Furthermore, concussions and blood clots in or around the brain can lead to OBS, as can low blood oxygen levels or elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream.
Brain and heart infections and degenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s can also contribute to the onset of an OBS.
Symptoms
Organic brain injury symptoms include having trouble concentrating for long periods of time at a stretch, or they may become confused while performing ordinary tasks. Over time, the patient’s ability to manage personal relationships and collaborate and communicate with others can also deteriorate.
Diagnosing and Treating OBS
OBS can be diagnosed using brain images such as a CT scan or MRI, along with blood tests or spinal taps. The treatment regimen that is administered by your doctor will be based on what the underlying cause of the OBS is determined (or suspected) to be.
Rest, medication, and rehabilitation therapy are the most common ways that doctors help patients recover from organic mental disorders. Your medical team will determine which combination of treatments is right for you. You may want to consider keeping a journal of your symptoms so you can accurately relay this information to your doctors.
Complications and Long-Term Outlook
If left untreated, temporary cases of organic brain syndrome can deteriorate over time and become permanent. If a patient who is suffering from a disorder does not respond to the treatments that are administered by their doctor, he or she may slowly lose the ability to independently function and interact with others.
The long-term prognosis for patients suffering from neurocognitive disorders depends on the cause of the disorder they are suffering from. If an OBS case is caused by a neurodegenerative disease that occurs as a result of age, the condition typically worsens over time.
In other cases such as OBS caused by physical trauma or imbalances in the body caused by, for example, substance abuse, the fall in a patient’s mental function may be temporary. These patients can generally hope to make a complete recovery.
You can contact an attorney for a car accident for more information about getting help to recover from OBS if the condition was caused by injuries that were sustained in a crash. A personal injury lawyer can answer your questions if the OBS was caused by any type of accident if it was caused by someone else’s negligence.
Risk Factors
Risk factors for developing neurocognitive disorders depend, in part, on your lifestyle and your daily habits. Working in hazardous environments where you are exposed to hazardous materials can increase your risk for OBS. You are also more likely to develop OBS if you are over the age of 60, abuse alcohol or drugs, or have diabetes.
Speak to your doctor about making lifestyle changes to lower your chances of developing OBS. If you or a loved one are afflicted by this disease, remember that you are not alone and there are many resources at your disposal that can help you recover.