Alaska ranks number one in recorded brain injuries, but lacks proper treatment or rehabilitation services for those affected. Many Alaskan’s experiencing brain injuries go without a proper diagnosis, and treatment, or are transported out of state for rehabilitation.

Brenda Bogowith, Executive Director for the Alaska Brain Injury Network said, “traumatic brain injury is one of the most misunderstood and unrecognized medical issue in Alaska, because it’s an “invisible disease.”

 

There are three different forms of traumatic brain injuries, or TBI, mild, traumatic or severe. It’s estimated there are around 10 thousand Alaskan’s experiencing brain injuries, however only around 600-800 recorded hospitalizations per year according to the trauma registry.

 

There are three indicators of brain injuries, an initial stage of dizziness, memory loss, and nausea, which happen immediately following the preliminary injury. The second most common symptoms are behavioral symptoms such as frustration, anger, and irritability, and thirdly, hypersensitivity, to light, sound, and vision can be affected.

 

The most frequent cusses of brain injuries in Alaska can be attributed to slips, falls, and accidents involving motorized vehicles such as ATV’s and automobiles. DiGrappo said, winter weather and over consumption of alcohol are often factors in these circumstances. Brain injuries in Alaska are more frequent in rural areas than urban centers.

 

Wearing a helmet while playing sports or riding bikes can also help prevent brain injuries. DiGrappo said helmets must be engineered for the specific activity in which you are participating, such as skiing, snowboarding and biking, and must be properly fitted to your head and properly buckled in order to be effective.

 

Despite the frequency of brain injuries in Alaska, there are no short term or long- term treatment facilities in the state, and many of those injured are sent home without being properly diagnosed. If a diagnosis is made, most Alaskan’s are sent home to families, or medevac’d to out of state facilities. DiGrappo is currently working with a family whose medevac to a Colorado facility cost $75 thousand, and that’s just in transportation costs.

 

Bogowith said, “Our state needs to come together and collectively work towards education and awareness surrounding TBI. I would like to see ABIN and our state officials developing a state-wide task force with TBI survivors, their families, medical providors, hospitals, behavioral health professionals, schools, coaches and policy makers- collectively working together to improve our delivery of care and developing a comprehensive system of community based services.”

A traumatic brain injury can happen in an instant to anyone, anywhere. Since slips and falls are one of the largest causes of brain injuries in Alaska, it’s important to prevent falling, but if that’s not an option, learn to fall properly. If a person experiences one of these circumstances, ABIN advises they see a physician immediately, but symptoms may not appear until years after the initial trauma.

 

There are a wide-range of symptoms for brain injures. These include, cognitive issues such as remembering and reasoning, changes in physical abilities such as walking and coordination, changes in sensation such as touch, taste and smell, behavioral changes leading to aggression and anxiety, and psychosocial changes, which can include depression, sense of loss and dependency on drugs and alcohol.

 

DiGrappo, experienced a brain injury ten years ago when she was involved in a car accident in Fairbanks when a friend drove through a stop sign. DiGrappo was transported to the local hospital, but like a large number of Alaskan’s was not properly diagnosed with a brain injury.

 

DiGrappo was not diagnosed for several months, but began noticing changes, such as failing college exams. Her neighbor, who was a neuropsychologist also noticed these changes, and encouraged her to seek a diagnosis. Once she was properly diagnosed, DiGrappo was told she would experience symptoms such as dyslexia and ADD for up to ten years, but is still experiencing them to this day.

Bogowith suspects that many Alaskan’s are suffering from mild TBI’s without knowing it, and are going without treatment, rehab services or support. Bogowith said many people (experiencing an injury), are often diagnosed with mental health issues, and only the symptoms are being treated, not the cause.

 

The Alaska Brain Injury Network is the only agency within the state of Alaska that works with people who have experienced a brain injury. ABIN connects survivors with the resources that do exist in Alaska, and advocates for more comprehensive services within the state.