Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder complicates the daily lives of many Wisconsin residents of all ages. Traumatic brain injuries subject millions of individuals to an assortment of cognitive problems yearly. A recent study has helped to affirm a potential correlation between these problems, raising the possibility that more might be done to screen adults with past brain injuries for ADHD.

The study pulled data from a telephone survey monitoring the general health of adults in Ontario. Some of the individuals in the survey reported a history of traumatic brain injury. Of these respondents, the researchers discovered that 5.9 percent had received an ADHD diagnosis at some point either before or after their injuries; furthermore, an extra 6.6 percent took a self-reporting ADHD exam during the phone survey with positive results. According to one researcher, the data suggested that adults suffering from traumatic brain injuries had double the chance of reporting ADHD symptoms compared to adults without such a history.

Opinions inferred from this and other studies include the idea that traumatic brain injuries can alter the brain to trigger ADHD symptoms. Researchers have also suggested that people with preexisting ADHD could be more susceptible to accidents resulting in a brain injury.

A brain injury can impact a Wisconsin resident with lingering effects beyond the initial hospital stay. Cognitive difficulties such as ADHD and other conditions can make work or school tasks that were once easily managed seem impossible. If the injury was caused by the negligence of another person, the victim may want to speak with an attorney to discuss possible ways of seeking compensation for the damages that have been sustained.