question about brain injury and Asperger's

[AMJ]

I'm asking from my ignorance here (genuine question):  Is it possible for a fully grown adult who sustains brain injury (enough to ground an airplane pilot, but not prevent him from otherwise living the same way he did before the brain injury) to acquire Asperger's?

 

I confess I have been rolling my eyes at my Dad's claims of having Asperger's.  There is a tendency in his family to self-diagnose, and not always correctly, so I've been assuming this is more of the same.  However, since I know basically nothing about Asperger's I really can't tell if such is the case, or if he might be on to something.

 

Dad is 82, now, and I suspect that there are other neurological things going on.  He told me he's going to go see a neurologist, but I haven't heard yet who this will be or what the verdict is.  Dad lives 1200 miles away from me and doesn't like me meddling (how he sees it), so the bulk of what I have to go on is what he tells me of his own volition.

 

If acquiring Asperger's through brain injury is possible would anyone be able to recommend materials to read?

 

Thanks!

[PeterPan]

Brain injury could definitely affect huge changes in personality, etc.  Given his age, he's probably using "aspergers" to explain what he's feeling.  I would take him at his word that his symptoms are aspergers-like and hope the neurologist can sort it out. No, he cannot "get" aspergers with a head injury.  The DSM5 says the "symptoms must be present in the early developmental period..."  That's not to say his symptoms aren't very real and poignant to him and needing a correct diagnosis or possible treatment.  I'm glad he's getting into a doctor.  My dad too is medically fragile, and it's hard to watch from a distance.  Hopefully they'll sort it out.  :)

[MyLittleBears]

My friend's dad had a personality change after his stroke. He was never a very demonstrative person in terms of affection but it became worse after his stroke, almost showing no emotion at all. I guess someone might say he has Asperger-like tendencies  but not Asperger's. 

[texasmama]

He could have sequelae from a TBI, but a TBI cannot cause Aspergers.

[dancingmama]

No, he wouldn't have as aspergers but he'd have a traumatic brain injury that mimics the symptoms of aspergers. That's what my son has. A traumatic brain injury causes all kinds of symptoms and it would be a good idea to read up on it. We often just tell people that Ds has autism as he acts like it but it was caused from a brain injury and therefore cannot be diagnosed as that. However if we didn't know about the trauma he'd be diagnosed as autism as his symptoms are classic autism.

[GoVanGogh]

Agree with above posts, but wanted to add: cerebral palsy is a result of a brain injury sustained before, during or shortly after birth. I don't remember the statistic now, but a high percentage of cp patients are on the autism spectrum. (One article i just found with a quick google search said 7% of cp patients also have autism, vs 1% of general population) But both cp and autism, per medical definition, are present early on, not acquired later in life.

I share that about cp because I can certainly see where, as an adult with a brain injury, one could feel autism like symptoms, feel and know that differences in their brain from pre- to post-injury. Whether cp, stroke or traumatic head injury, the brain is damaged and must rewire neurological pathways. My child with cp has always described his brain in a deeply personal way, almost as a roadmap where he can "see" his brain's pathways.

[AMJ]

Thank you all for your input.  I've been away for a couple of weeks, and only just now saw your responses.  I'll do more reading on brain injuries, and will gently ask for details whenever Dad brings up his "Asperger's".  He's detail-oriented, so he will gladly give them, unless it's a bad day (cognition-wise).

 

It's a little unnerving, yet interesting, to try to (literally and figuratively) get into his head....

[srs]

My DD with a brain injury is doing a neuropsychological evaluation now, and the doctor has said that her right side damage is causing problems that may get her a nonverbal learning disorder diagnosis, which from my reading seems to have Asperger-like symptoms. Do you happen to know where his damage is? This is apparently something that happens on the right side.

[bluedarling]

I had a couple of therapists over the years suggest my oldest was brain-injured from birth.  We eventually got him an Aspergers diagnosis.  A podiatrist suggested it was CP (but the neurologists laughed at that....in his opinion that diagnosis was reserved for far more severe symptoms.)  There can be a lot of similarity.  I remember reading that prior to the autism diagnosis being available, these kids were labelled brain-injured!  Hopefully with new brain imaging the distinctions will become clearer. 

 

I'm not sure they'll do much to help with the brain injury symptoms your dad is experiencing, though, unless they are quite severe.  It may be best to just accept the changes, and deal with him as though he did have Aspergers.