Lizzie McGuire star Robert Carradine died at age 71 after a decades-long battle with Bipolar Disorder.
Carradine’s family confirmed his death on Monday, February 23, in a statement Deadline“It is with great sadness that we have to share the passing of our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine.”
The statement continued: “In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby always shined a light on everyone around him. We are saddened by the loss of this beautiful soul and want to recognize Bobby’s heroic struggle against his nearly decade-long battle with bipolar disorder. We hope his journey can shed light and inspire against the stigma associated with mental illness.”
Days later, the Los Angeles Deputy Medical Examiner ruled Carradine’s official cause of death a suicide, according to documents obtained by Us Weekly.
The medical examiner also noted that the cause was “sequential anoxic brain injury,” caused by the brain not receiving enough oxygen.
Scroll down to learn more about anoxic brain injury and its causes:
What is Anoxic Brain Injury?
Both anoxic and hypoxic brain injuries are “a type of acquired brain injury that occurs when brain cells don’t get enough oxygen,” according to the Brain Injury Association of America, which says the injuries are “very similar but have slightly different causes.”
What is the Difference Between Anoxic and Hypoxic Brain Injury?
Anoxic brain injury occurs when the brain is “deprived of oxygen at all,” according to the Shepherd Center, noting that without oxygen, “brain cells begin to die after four minutes,” which can lead to severe damage or death.
Hypoxic brain damage, on the other hand, occurs when there is “restricted oxygen flow to the brain, causing the gradual death and deterioration of brain cells,” according to the Shepherd Center.
Jamie Lee Curtis has paid tribute to ex-boyfriend Robert Carradine following his death at the age of 71. “Woke up to find out Robert Carradine passed away,” Curtis, 67, wrote on Instagram on Tuesday, February 24, alongside throwback photos with Carradine. The Freaky Friday actress revealed that her friend Melanie Griffith, who starred with Carradine in. […]
What Can Cause a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Common causes of hypoxic or anoxic brain injury include drowning, electric shock, cardiac arrest, suffocation, carbon monoxide poisoning, suffocation, smoke inhalation, suffocation or overdose.
According to the Shepherd Center, there are different types of anoxic brain injury based on the cause. Hypoxic-ischemic injury or “static anoxia” occurs when “oxygen-rich blood cannot reach the brain, usually due to conditions such as cardiac arrest or arrhythmia,” in the center.
Anemic anoxia occurs when the blood cannot “carry enough oxygen” or “there is not enough blood in the body to meet the needs of the brain,” usually due to severe anemia or blood loss.
Toxic anoxia is caused by “exposure to chemicals or toxins that prevent the brain from getting oxygen from the blood cells,” such as carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Shepherd Center noted that anoxic anoxia is the result of “lack of oxygen in the air,” caused by overcrowding or being at high altitudes without the right amount of oxygen.
What Are the Symptoms of Anoxic Brain Injury?
Short-term symptoms of hypoxic and anoxic injury can vary, with the Brain Injury Association of America describing the most common as: difficulty concentrating, impaired coordination, dizziness, headache, confusion, loss of consciousness, light-headedness and blue-looking skin.
Long-term symptoms can include tremors, memory problems, speech impairment, fatigue, low blood pressure, extreme irritability, cortical blindness and motor function disorders.
The Carradine family is Hollywood royalty. Patriarch John Carradine – the son of 18th-century Christian minister Beverly Carradine – kicked off the family dynasty in the 1900s. His children ended up following in their father’s footsteps. Several of the Carradine brothers are known by name, with one of the most famous members […]
Are There Treatments for Diabetes Brain Injury?
Anoxic brain injury is an “emergency” that requires treatment as soon as possible, according to Prisma Health Children’s Hospital. The goal is to restore oxygen to the brain before more damage is done.
The hospital notes that “basic life support” that may be used includes mechanical ventilation, fluids, blood products, medications to support blood pressure and heart rate and “seizure suppressants.”
The Brain Injury Association of America states that no two brain injury patients will have the same symptoms or path to recovery, so treatment varies.
“Recovery is possible for many people who sustain hypoxic or anoxic brain damage,” according to the association, adding that the doctor may recommend “a rehabilitation program or certain medications” depending on the damage.
