Dr. Andy Galpin

And then, as I mentioned before, even damage or even death in the cells that are directly in the brain or related to the brain. That can actually be going on acutely for weeks or even months to decades throughout life. So I can't go over all of this. It would take me the entire show, if not many.

And then, as I mentioned before, even damage or even death in the cells that are directly in the brain or related to the brain. That can actually be going on acutely for weeks or even months to decades throughout life. So I can't go over all of this. It would take me the entire show, if not many.

But I do want to cover a couple of very specific examples so you can start to grasp what this could look like. The first one is just if you've had capillaries burst. So remember, you have capillaries that surround all tissue in your body and that's where all of your blood exchanges happen. So you have this network and this bed of capillaries that surround your brain.

But I do want to cover a couple of very specific examples so you can start to grasp what this could look like. The first one is just if you've had capillaries burst. So remember, you have capillaries that surround all tissue in your body and that's where all of your blood exchanges happen. So you have this network and this bed of capillaries that surround your brain.

When those burst, you can't get nutrients and fuel in, and you can't get waste products out. And so the most fundamental problem here is you don't get oxygen to the brain. So we lose cerebral blood flow, we lose energy production because we're not getting fuel in the brain because we've physically torn capillaries.

When those burst, you can't get nutrients and fuel in, and you can't get waste products out. And so the most fundamental problem here is you don't get oxygen to the brain. So we lose cerebral blood flow, we lose energy production because we're not getting fuel in the brain because we've physically torn capillaries.

If this was on your arm like it is on mine right now, you might have a purple and black arm. Thank you, Cam Haines. But in your brain, you wouldn't see that. This goes right back to the invisible disease problem from earlier. More detailed example would be the following, though. Oftentimes, we'll break up TBIs into what we call the initial response and then the delayed or phase two response.

If this was on your arm like it is on mine right now, you might have a purple and black arm. Thank you, Cam Haines. But in your brain, you wouldn't see that. This goes right back to the invisible disease problem from earlier. More detailed example would be the following, though. Oftentimes, we'll break up TBIs into what we call the initial response and then the delayed or phase two response.

So let's say you had some sort of direct hit. Again, pick your example. It might look something like this. Your initial response would be an over-activation of the neurons. That's right. The nerves that are associated with the injury area become overly activated. Now this initial response is caused in large part by what's called over-activation of neighboring neurons.

So let's say you had some sort of direct hit. Again, pick your example. It might look something like this. Your initial response would be an over-activation of the neurons. That's right. The nerves that are associated with the injury area become overly activated. Now this initial response is caused in large part by what's called over-activation of neighboring neurons.

So you remember all the nerves connected one to one to one, they're not actually physically connected. There's a small space in between them. And they communicate by releasing what's called neurotransmitters. So what happens in this area is you have a damage to one, it over-communicates to the next one, and you get way too much neuron activity.

So you remember all the nerves connected one to one to one, they're not actually physically connected. There's a small space in between them. And they communicate by releasing what's called neurotransmitters. So what happens in this area is you have a damage to one, it over-communicates to the next one, and you get way too much neuron activity.

That's called over-excitation, okay, or excitotoxicity, because you're excited so much that it comes to the level of toxicity. And excited being the neurons being too active. Now, this happens in large part because of a molecule called glutamate. You'll see this all over the TBI literature, supplementation, marketing. Very common to be talked about because it is very real and very important.

That's called over-excitation, okay, or excitotoxicity, because you're excited so much that it comes to the level of toxicity. And excited being the neurons being too active. Now, this happens in large part because of a molecule called glutamate. You'll see this all over the TBI literature, supplementation, marketing. Very common to be talked about because it is very real and very important.

It's the main neurotransmitter that's responsible for this excitatory activity. Now this gets released. In response to that, we have a whole downstream cascade of problems. And this starts off as an initial response, and then I'll show you how this turns into that delayed phase response later. So we have this overexcitation.

It's the main neurotransmitter that's responsible for this excitatory activity. Now this gets released. In response to that, we have a whole downstream cascade of problems. And this starts off as an initial response, and then I'll show you how this turns into that delayed phase response later. So we have this overexcitation.

Now, if you go back to our episode on muscle, you'll learn more about how nerves and cells contract, why sodium and calcium and potassium and chloride are responsible for action potentials and so on and so forth. For now, sodium and calcium very specifically become overly activated. In fact, you literally oftentimes have damage to the plasma membrane.

Now, if you go back to our episode on muscle, you'll learn more about how nerves and cells contract, why sodium and calcium and potassium and chloride are responsible for action potentials and so on and so forth. For now, sodium and calcium very specifically become overly activated. In fact, you literally oftentimes have damage to the plasma membrane.

So the little thing that surrounds your cells gets damaged, it gets broken. And so because of that, the things that are supposed to be in the cell and things that are not supposed to come in the cell start leaking everywhere. So sodium and calcium start coming in and out of the cell in inappropriate manners.

So the little thing that surrounds your cells gets damaged, it gets broken. And so because of that, the things that are supposed to be in the cell and things that are not supposed to come in the cell start leaking everywhere. So sodium and calcium start coming in and out of the cell in inappropriate manners.