What if you were told that this nonchalant dismissal of that dizziness or that throbbing headache, could perhaps spell trouble for you down the line?

Alina Arulsamy, a neuroscientist and lecturer at Monash University Malaysia, specialises in traumatic brain injury (TBI) research, and is on a mission to unravel the mysteries of TBI and raise awareness about its hidden dangers.

Put in the simplest terms, TBI occurs when a blow to the head causes injury to the brain, inside the protective confines of the skull.

Alina explained: “The brain is like a gelatine-like structure, so, when you experience an impact, your brain shakes and bounces inside your skull, causing injury.”

Whether it’s an elderly person taking a fall, or a sudden rapid rotation of your head after a headbutt, these seemingly insignificant incidents can cause the neurons within your brain to twist and tear, leading to a TBI.

Now here’s the real shocker – while moderate and severe TBIs typically result in loss of consciousness, with individuals often immediately hospitalised, mild TBI is sneakier.

“People with mild TBI might only feel slightly lightheaded or experience a temporary loss of consciousness,” Alina revealed. “And that’s the problem. Many tend to brush it off, assuming it will resolve on its own.”

However, Alina advises against doing that, as it could potentially trigger life-altering conditions, albeit much later in life.

Research has shown that mild TBI is associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Other profound changes include personality shifts and memory loss, even if the effects take years to manifest.

“This is why I urge people that, no matter the severity, if you have injured your head, always seek medical help,” she said.

And it’s not only athletes who should be concerned. Those involved in road accidents too are just as much at risk.

So, if you ever find yourself in a minor fender bender, feeling that jolt as your car hits something, instead of solely worrying about your vehicle, it might be a wise to visit the hospital as well.

One might wonder: “I’ve just checked myself into the hospital, after a head injury. Now what? Is there a cure for TBI?” That’s precisely where dedicated researchers like Alina step into the picture.

“Currently, there is no one-stop cure for TBI. And this is partly because TBI is anything but straightforward.

“Even if two individuals experience the same fall with the same force, their outcomes can be wildly different. One might recover quickly, while the other may develop symptoms later in life,” she said.

Even then, Alina pointed out that the long-term symptoms can vary, from motor issues to speech problems, or memory loss and personality changes.

“The diversity of symptoms associated with TBI underscores the need for collaborative research.We need to understand why specific forms of TBI lead to certain symptoms. Is there a particular biomarker or molecule that can predict memory loss or other impairments?”

Alina elaborated: “Identifying this marker would enable us to screen individuals who’ve experienced TBI and alert them to potential future memory impairments.

“Ideally, we should also have a drug to prevent these impairments,” she said adding, that this was the ultimate goal of researchers in the field of mental health.

Alina was first introduced to TBI during her PhD at the University of Adelaide and was immediately captivated by its intricacies.

In Malaysia, research on TBI is thriving, focusing on areas like risk factors, impairments in different age groups, and the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes. Still, Alina notes a lack of fundamental research, which is where her work comes into play.

“As we’ve seen from the pandemic, new diseases and conditions will continue to emerge. We need more researchers to uncover the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind these problems,” she said.

She urged both the public and government to prioritise scientific research, and involve young students in these pursuits.

Much like Alina, the efforts of numerous researchers provide hope for improved diagnosis, treatment, and the prevention of life-altering consequences, paving the way toward a brighter and healthier future for all.