Page 396 - Total War on PTSD

overwhelmed by the details of life. Their condition will improve quickly and they find they can return to normal activities and handle life and its challenges with a certain amount of grace.
Again, Omega-3s are not a miracle drug. Expectations must remain realistic when embarking on any treatment. What these fatty acids do is provide a nutritional foundation, what we all a neuro-permissive environment so healing of the brain can occur.
Different recovery outcomes from concussion have to do with many variables. I like to say that concussions are like snowflakes. Everyone person, every injury, every TBI is different — no two are alike. The extent of the injury is important, of course, but there are other variables as well. Who gleans the most benefit from fish oil and to what extent their brains can heal depends on age, gender, genetics, pre-existing conditions, and how long ago the primary injury occurred. All these variables have an influence on why patients can heal at varying rates.
Age is certainly a determining factor. The very young and very old may have a harder time recovering from a brain injury than a healthy, twenty-five year-old man. A child's brain is still forming. All the connections between different parts of the brain are still developing as well, and sections relegated to certain responsibilities like the visual cortex, hearing, memory, spatial awareness, and risk assessment are all developing at different times. A child or teen’s neck muscles are not as developed as well, and leave the head more susceptible to brain injury. The head is large and heavy and needs a strong support. Without one, the head can be struck or strike an object, and a weak neck is left nearly useless to ameliorate the effects of the blow.
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