The study is published in the May issue of Neurotrauma . Further research is needed to determine how long the lower use of glucose persists after an injury and to fully understand the effects. Patients in the UCLA study were found to be normal six months after the injury. Walking, Talking Not Everything Previous animal studies have shown that the depressed level of glucose use can make a patient vulnerable to more severe damage after a repeated blow. The study confirms something long suspected by doctors who treat people with head injuries, said Dr. Gregory O'Shanick, national medical director of the Brain Injury Association.
Many people blow that off as being innocuous.
What this indicates is that clearly it's not. Anyone who suffers a head trauma should think twice before resuming normal activities immediately after the injury, he said. You don't run on a sprained ankle immediately. The Associated Press. All rights reserved.