How a Brain Injury Made One Teen a Musical Sensation

Thanks to countless studies and in-depth reporting, people are finally starting to get a more accurate picture of just how dangerous football can be. Specifically, more and more people are now understanding the dangers posed by undiagnosed concussions in the sport, which studies have shown can result in serious and even fatal consequences for players of all ages.

To illustrate, news outlets across the nation have recently been reporting on a 17-year-old who was left with a rather interesting condition after suffering an undiagnosed concussion while playing football in the sixth grade.

Here the condition wasn’t headaches, uncontrollable shaking or even blurred vision, but rather an affinity for music.

According to the teenager’s parents, after being knocked unconscious during football in the sixth grade, the young man began experiencing a litany of health problems from nausea and cognitive issues to seizures and hallucinations. While he ultimately recovered from what doctors eventually diagnosed as a brain injury, his doctors effectively banned him from participation in contact sports.

Apparently undeterred by this lifetime ban, the young man gravitated toward the piano, which he suddenly picked up in no time and soon thereafter went on the master several other instruments, including the banjo, mandolin and accordion to name only a few.

“I can’t do what [he] can do,” said the teen’s mother. “He can pick up an instrument and within five minutes, he’s playing it.”

While this may sound like a strange phenomenon, medical experts say it’s not uncommon for those who suffer brain injuries to develop an artistic capability seemingly out of nowhere during their recovery.

One theory, they say, is that if traumatic brain injury damages the frontal lobe of the brain, the portion that controls inhibition, it might create “disinhibition,” such that the person no longer experiences doubt or anxiety about latent artistic talents.

While this story is certainly fascinating and uplifting, it’s important to understand that most brain injury cases don’t end this way. In fact, most victims are often left with life-altering injuries that affect almost every aspect of their lives from their employment to their personal relationships.

This is precisely why it’s so important to consider speaking with an experienced attorney if you or a loved one has suffered a serious brain injury due to the negligence of another here in Tennessee. Together, you can discuss your options, your rights and your ability to secure justice.

Source: ABC News, “Teenager credits musical talent to head injury,” Gillian Mohney, Nov. 23, 2013

Brack Terry

Attorney F. Braxton “Brack” Terry has the legal skill, integrity, and trial experience to offer a high level of professional services to all of our East Tennessee clients. He strongly believes in the importance of strengthening and preserving civil advocacy throughout Tennessee’s legal community.