Cerebral anoxia is a brain injury that involves the human brain being denied an adequate amount of oxygen. When the brain is denied oxygen, a number of events start taking place which are all designed to maximize or maintain the brain’s oxygen supply.
The brain is unable to store oxygen so it is dependent on a constant supply of fresh, oxygenated blood in order to maintain its functions. When the supply of fresh blood is reduced or completely cut off, the individual cells of the brain can swell and cause injury. In other cases of anoxic injuries, there is a mechanism of the brain that allows for a recirculation of cerebral blood flow.
The larger vessels of the brain respond effectively to recirculation but the smaller vessels are unable to respond effectively to recirculation and then are unable to resume normal blood flow. This results in death of various tissues of the brain, particularly in the cerebral cortex.
Following an anoxic event, damage to the hippocampus is the primary affected area. This damage results in memory deficits and disturbances. Other effects include changes in personality and behavior as well as problems with visual spatial deficits and disturbed language skills.
Cerebral anoxias can occur because of:
- Near drowning experiences
- An accident involving significant blood loss
- Smoke inhalation in fires
- Carbon-monoxide poisoning
- Anesthetic accidents prior to the surgery
Contact a Minneapolis Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer
For more information on how we can help experienced diminished mental capacity as a result of a cerebral anoxia and a free consultation with our experienced and professional staff, call Walker Law Office, P.A. at (612) 821-0094, (214) 550-3333 or email walker@walkerjustice.com.