Homeless More at Risk for Traumatic Brain Injury
A homeless man was attacked outside the Wisconsin Veterans Museum April 29 and knocked unconscious.
The 51-year-old man was sleeping outside the Veterans Museum located at the intersection of State Street and West Mifflin Street, according to a Madison Police Department incident report.
The homeless man suffered significant head injuries including bleeding in his skull and a fractured orbital bone as a result of the attack and was taken to the hospital for his injuries. He claims to have been punched at least 20 times and police have not identified the attacker.
Read More: Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney in Wisconsin
The incident occurred about 4 a.m. at the museum, which is located at the intersection of State Street and West Mifflin Street
A study by the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health shows that homeless people are more at risk for traumatic brain injury.
According to the study, homeless people experience high rates of injury of all types and are frequently victims of assault.
Researchers surveyed 601 men and 303 women at homeless shelters and meal programs, defining traumatic brain injury as any self-reported head injury that left the person dazed, confused, disoriented or unconscious.
Injuries resulting in unconsciousness lasting 30 minutes or longer were defined as moderate or severe. The group assessed mental health, alcohol and drug problems in the past 30 days using the Addiction Severity Index. Physical and mental health status was assessed using the SF-12 health survey.
The group then examined associations between traumatic brain injury and health conditions.
Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of permanent disability in North America and may be common in the homeless population due to exposure to physical abuse during childhood and substance abuse, which increases the risk of homelessness and the risk of traumatic brain injury.
Results of the study showed traumatic brain injury could be a factor contributing to the 3–8 percent prevalence of cognitive dysfunction among homeless adults.
Two previous studies have reported the prevalence of traumatic brain injury among homeless people in London, England, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. These studies were limited by small sample sizes, recruitment at a single shelter and a lack of data from women. Researchers conducted this study to determine the lifetime prevalence of traumatic brain injury in a representative sample of homeless men and women across an entire city, and to identify the temporal relation between traumatic brain injury and the onset of homelessness.
Researchers also sought to characterize the association between a history of traumatic brain injury and current health problems in this population. Their primary hypothesis was that a history of traumatic brain injury would be associated with poor current health.
