Economical, Sociological, and Psychological Aspects of Brain Related Injuries

Economical, Sociological, and Psychological Aspects of Brain Related Injuries

                Observing the brain and gut, we determined through research that the two entities are somewhat connected. The brain development is related to gut microbiota as well as the gut development dependent on the central nervous system (CNS). Some links between the two systems include how emotions affect the intestinal tract. Losing your appetite or feeling hungry due to stress are some examples of how the brain can alter signals to the gut organs. With the connections between the brain and gut prevalent, there are also studies in different fields that relate to this scientific field. Although scientists generally think of the scientific side of medical diseases, there are other links to different fields of study that aren’t necessarily focused on in the scientific community. There are several links of study related to economics of diseases, sociological treatment of people with diseases, and the psychological aspect of disease diagnosis that also relate to the scientific field.

            Being diagnosed with a disease is tough and heart-dropping, but the costs that come with the disease bear just as big of a burden as the diagnosis. A study conducted by Becerra et al. in Columbia evaluated the costs associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurological degenerative disorder that affects motor control of muscles (2016). Due to the degenerative tendencies, the disease becomes worse as time goes on with no clear cure. In the study, they evaluated a patient with PD using deep brain stimulation (DBS) as a treatment, which sends electrical signals to inhibit thalamus function. Costs for DBS for the first year were more expensive than the best medical treatments available; however, DBS is better in the long run after the surgical procedure is complete by reducing costs below the best medical treatments (Becerra et al., 2016). With the DBS, patient tremors are more controlled which seems like a cure even though it is only temporary because of PD’s degenerative nature. Total cost in a patient with PD using DBS experienced $186,000 in cost over the span of five years (Becerra et al., 2016). Not only is having a degenerative disorder is deadly, the costs associated with its treatment is just as bad.

People with different traumatic brain injury (TBI) witnesses different levels of work participation (Ellingsen and Aas, 2009). The researchers conducted a study on different TBI and work participation levels before and after. What they found was work participation actually decreased due to work demands such as physical barriers, social stigma from employers, and very little practice or training. To improve the work participation after TBI, the researchers found that optimism, time flexibility, and social support were beneficial (Ellingsen and Aas, 2009). Not only will the person have suffered a traumatic brain injury, but socially is affected because of the difficulty of performing daily work tasks and certain employer expectations.

Psychologically speaking, there is a problem with neurocognitive decision making in elderly which is leading to a problem in elderly suicide (Richard-Devantoy et al., 2016). Something that I did not know was that elderly suicide is prevalent in society. In the study, the scientists discovered the decision impairment in elderly adults with a family history of suicidal acts. Although the study brings up concern, the researchers also suggested that more research should be conducted to validate the results (Richard-Devantoy et al., 2016). Not only can neuronal diseases be affect someone’s health biologically, but also psychologically as well if the patient has a family history of suicidal tendencies. The patient might suffer psychologically and result in making a decision that he/she can’t take back. More studies need to be conducted to validate the results; however, this research article shows the correlation between psychology and neuroscience while also raising concern for future elderly patients.

            With all the different types of brain injuries, multiple fields of study such as Psychology, Sociology, and Economics are also affected as well, not just Biology. Everything that occurs in Biology directly affects a different field depending on what aspect it is. Economics is affected because of the pharmaceutical companies and medical expenses. Psychology is affected based on different types of altercations in the neural connections in the brain dependent on traumatic experiences. Sociology of a patient is also affected based on their interactions with others and how that may change due to their brain and how others may perceive them. Overall, the things that happen to a person biologically affect different aspects of various study subjects and could potentially affect other aspects that some scientists are neglectful about.

References

Becerra, J. E., Zorro, O., Ruiz-Gaviria, R., Castañeda-Cardona, C., Otálora-Esteban, M., Henao, S., & ... Rosselli, D. (2016). Economic Analysis of Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson Disease: Systematic Review of the Literature. World Neurosurgery, 9344-49. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2016.05.028

Ellingsen, K. L., & Aas, R. W. (2009). Work Participation After Acquired Brain Injury: Experiences of Inhibiting and Facilitating Factors. International Journal Of Disability Management, 4(1), 1-11. doi:10.1375/jdmr.4.1.1

Richard-Devantoy, S., Turecki, G., & Jollant, F. (2016). Neurobiology of Elderly Suicide. Archives Of Suicide Research, 20(3), 291-313. doi:10.1080/13811118.2015.1048397