As a nursse working for the VA you have a patient that has head wounds caused by

Question

As a nursse working for the VA you have a patient that has head wounds caused by a roadside bomb. the patients chart states that there is still a oiece of shrapnel lodged in the central area of the diencephalon. The patient exhibits some mood swings and can be a little emotional. The chart also states there has been a loss in vision and hearing but there appears to be no damage to the ears, eyes or related nerves. there also seems to be some loss of general sensation with no apparent damage to the receptors or sensory nerves. What structure do you think is damaged? explain the rational for your choice.

Explanation / Answer

Thalamus is the damaged structure.

Reasoning:

Every sensory system except olfaction has a nuclei in the thalamus that receives signal and sends to primary cortical area. So damage to it can lead to vision loss and hearing loss.

Further thalamus is also responsible for sensory interpretation.

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