The images above are from a study where researchers examined the brain metabolism of patients who hit their heads during an accident, such as a fall. Measuring the brain's metabolic activity or the amount of sugar it uses provides clues on its function. Red indicates high brain metabolism, which is a sign of high brain activity, while blue indicates low brain metabolism or low activity. The patients, who were conscious and thought to have only mild injuries, actually had very low brain metabolism. In fact, the metabolism was as poor as some coma patients with severe head injuries. This suggests that even if a blow to the head reveals no major outside signs of trouble, there still may be some problems inside the brain.
Images courtesy of Marvin Bergsneider, MD, University of California Medical Center, Los Angeles.
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