Bianchi suffered 'diffuse axonal injury'
A statement released today by the family of Jules Bianchi notes that the young Frenchman has suffered a diffuse axonal injury and remains critical, but in stable condition.
The following statement is provided by the family of Jules Bianchi, in conjunction with the Mie General Medical Center, and is distributed on their behalf by the Marussia F1 Team.
“This is a very difficult time for our family, but the messages of support and affection for Jules from all over the world have been a source of great comfort to us. We would like to express our sincere appreciation.
Jules remains in the Intensive Care Unit of the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi. He has suffered a diffuse axonal injury and is in a critical but stable condition. The medical professionals at the hospital are providing the very best treatment and care and we are grateful for everything they have done for Jules since his accident.
We are also grateful for the presence of Professor Gerard Saillant, President of the FIA Medical Commission, and Professor Alessandro Frati, Neurosurgeon of the University of Rome La Sapienza, who has travelled to Japan at the request of Scuderia Ferrari. They arrived at the hospital today and met with the medical personnel responsible for Jules’ treatment, in order to be fully informed of his clinical status so that they are able to advise the family. Professors Saillant and Frati acknowledge the excellent care being provided by the Mie General Medical Center and would like to thank their Japanese colleagues.
The hospital will continue to monitor and treat Jules and further medical updates will be provided when appropriate.”
To understand what actually is a diffuse axonal injury, brain surgeon and former FIA doctor explains the condition includes damage the white matter of the brain. The cabling.
"Once again, this isn’t really great, as the cabling is what allows higher-level information processing by hooking up the various brain areas (e.g., visual and auditory. I see you talking, hear your words, but actually it’s associative areas of my brain that fuse the information and integrates it into my experience of you talking. That kind of processing is easily interrupted with DAI."
Sadly, because of the injury being diffuse (hence not located in a very specific part of the brain), it makes it difficult to treat with targeted surgery.
While DAI is usually combined with a somber prognosis, the severity and extent of the injuries are so far unconfirmed.
