Studies Find Brain Injury Increases Risky Behavior

Randy Rozek • October 9, 2014

New research has found that teen girls who survive a traumatic brain injury are at a higher risk for problematic behavior. In the study, researchers found that 13 risky behaviors increased for girls with TBI, such as binge drinking, suicidal thinking and smoking marijuana. On average, boys only engaged in 9 of the unhealthy behaviors.

Survey across Ontario
The research involved 9,288 students from grades 7 to 12 from across Ontario, Canada. In the study, surveyors defined traumatic brain injury as blows to the head that caused a five-minute knockout, or a minimum of one night spent in the hospital for head injury symptoms. Researchers discovered that both boys and girls were likely to engage in risky behavior, but girls with a head injury participated in harmful activity more often.

Dr. Robert Mann, director of the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, said that people should focus more on the prevention of head injuries and mental issues. Adolescents who engage in risky activity often experience issues with addiction and mental health in their later years.

Preventing Head Trauma
Lead author of the study, Gabriela Ilie, said that this research provides a wake up call to parents and physicians. She continued to say that we need to be more vigilant in protecting ourselves and our children from brain injury. Despite the study showing a correlation between traumatic head injury and risky behaviors, Dr. Anthony Alessi has noted that there is not a cause-and-effect relationship. Alessi said that while the evidence shows that it could increase risky behavior, that does not mean that people should use it as an excuse for making bad choices.

What could be the cause of increased risky behavior? Dr. Sam Gandy, professor of neurology at Mount Sinai in New York City, said that the frontal lobes are at increased risk for damage with head trauma. This region controls inhibitions, so it could be the reason for increased risky behavior in girls. Although, why it affect boys differently is unknown. Researchers published the findings in the online journal PLOS ONE.