Understanding & Treating Post Brain Injury Energy Crisis
After suffering a head injury, the brain’s mitochondria become destabilized, making them unable to keep up with the increased energy demands needed for your brain to heal. This increased demand causes a metabolic crisis that, if not treated, can lead to long-term brain trauma symptoms.
This initial stage of the traumatic brain injury neurometabolic cascade can last 7-10 days, causing behavioral impairments in learning and memory.
What’s Happening In Your Head?
Your newly injured brain has increased metabolic demands. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) pumps shift into overdrive to meet this demand leading to a huge mismatch between energy and supply. When this happens, the mitochondria enter into energy and metabolic crisis, increasing the brain’s demand for glucose. It reduces the brain blood flow while ion disruptions lead to the rapid release of neurotransmitters. This rapid release of neurotransmitters leads to higher levels of glutamate, which is neurotoxic to the brain. Meanwhile, inflammation and oxidative stress are increasing. As you can see, the TBI Energy Crisis causes havoc on the brain and sets up the conditions for long-term damage when not treated.
Energy Crisis Treatment Approaches:
The following treatment approaches address the Energy Crisis stage of the Neurometabolic Cascade:
Red light therapy to support the mitochondria crisis
Resvertrol supplements to protect neuronal cells from oxidative stress
Eat every 2 hours to address the brain’s high demand for glucose
Eat a diet high in fats and protein to supply fuel so that the body can reach homeostasis
Addressing inflammation to support brain homeostasis
You should always consult a qualified physician for support in applying these treatment approaches. If you want to learn more about me and how I approach Traumatic Brain Injury, sign up for a free 15-minute consultation or schedule an appointment.
