Modern understanding of traumatic brain injury increasingly centers on the nervous system — specifically, the chronic dysregulation that underlies many traumatic brain injury presentations.
The Nervous System in Traumatic Brain Injury
The autonomic nervous system has two primary states relevant to traumatic brain injury:
Sympathetic activation ('fight or flight'): When chronically activated, drives anxiety-type traumatic brain injury
Parasympathetic ('rest and digest'): The recovery state — undermined by traumatic brain injury
Dorsal vagal shutdown: A third state — freeze/collapse — associated with depression-type traumatic brain injury
Signs of Nervous System Dysregulation in Traumatic Brain Injury
Chronic hyperarousal (always 'on edge'), difficulty relaxing even in safe environments, and feeling perpetually exhausted despite rest.
Regulating the Nervous System for Traumatic Brain Injury
- Breathwork: Directly activates the parasympathetic nervous system
- Cold exposure: Controlled cold activates the vagus nerve, improving traumatic brain injury
- Safe social engagement: Co-regulation through trusted relationships
- Movement: Discharges sympathetic activation accumulated in traumatic brain injury