Brain Stem Injury Attorneys
San Francisco Bay Area · Los Angeles · San Diego
The brain stem connects the brain to the spinal cord and is composed of several major structures, including the medulla, pons, fourth ventricle, midbrain, thalamus, hypothalamus, and subthalamic region.
At the top of the spinal cord, the brain stem is an important nerve center. It is crucial in conducting nerve impulses toward the central nervous system. Not only does the brain stem serve as the connection between brain and body, it also performs fundamental survival functions. Such functions include the autonomic processes of breathing and controlling the heartbeat. The brain stem's other important functions include interpreting some sensory information such as the initial localization of the sounds that we hear.
Injuries to the brain stem can cause death from respiratory or cardiac irregularity or arrest. Difficulties swallowing food (dysphagia), perceptual problems, and balance and movement problems may also result from injuries to the brain stem. Further possible symptoms of such an injury are dizziness, nausea, and sleeping difficulties.
If you or a loved one has suffered such an injury, there is the potential that there are also spinal cord injuries. Our San Francisco, California attorneys urge you to look at our information on spinal cord injuries, available here .
