What is a traumatic brain injury?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of such an injury may range from "mild," i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to "severe," i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. A TBI can result in short or long-term problems with independent function.
Traumatic Brain Injury Facts:
How many people have TBI?
Of the 1.7 million who sustain a TBI each year in the United States:
The number of people with TBI who are not seen in an emergency department or who receive no care is unknown.
What causes TBI?
The leading causes of TBI are:
Blasts are a leading cause of TBI for active duty military personnel in war zones.2
Who is at highest risk for TBI?
What are the costs of TBI?
Direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity of TBI totaled an estimated $60 billion in the United States in 2000.4
What are the long-term consequences of TBI?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that at least 5.3 million Americans currently have a long-term or lifelong need for help to perform activities of daily living as a result of a TBI.5
According to one study, about 40% of those hospitalized with a TBI had at least one unmet need for services one year after their injury. The most frequent unmet needs were:
TBI can cause a wide range of functional changes affecting thinking, language, learning, emotions, behavior, and/or sensation. It can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age.7,8
Collaborating Organizations
Brain Injury Association of America
www.biausa.org
800-444-6443
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov
800-311-3435
Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center
www.dvbic.org
800-870-9244
Health Resources and Services Administration
www.hrsa.gov
301-443-3376
National Association of State Head Injury Administrators
www.nashia.org
301-656-3500
National Brain Injury Research Treatment and Training Foundation
www.nbirtt.org
434-220-4824
National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, NICHD, NIH
www.nichd.nih.gov/about/ncmrr
800-370-2943
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr
202-245-7640
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH
www.ninds.nih.gov
800-352-9424
North American Brain Injury Society
www.nabis.org
703-960-6500
Social Security Administration
www.ssa.gov
800-772-1213
References
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov.
"TBI" Camps are needed to assist veterans and their families and help to restore self-confidence and a "can do" attitude. As a "TBI" recipient, I can attest to the 30-40 years that it took to restore my "can do" attitude on my own. I'm sure that our Nation's Wounded Warriors deserve much more. You can help by helping to create awareness and acceptance of the "TBI" enabled veteran (who fought and sacrificed to protect your rights and freedoms) by society - especially by the employer community.
thank you so much for posting this!!!!
Great traumatic brain injury facts and statistics. It really does impact a lot of people!
ThAnk U sO mUcH 4 yOuR hElP
Apr 8th, 2010 5:19pm