Brain Injury Info

Information on Brain Injuries

Definitions of traumatic and acquired brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI): An insult to the brain, not of degenerative or congenital nature, caused by an external physical force that may produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness, which results in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning. It can also result in the disturbance of behavioral or emotional functioning.

Acquired brain injury (ABI): Injury to the brain which is not hereditary, congenital or degenerative.

Incidence of brain injuries in the U.S.

*An estimated 5.3 million Americans (a little more than 2% of the population) currently live with disabilities resulting from brain injuries.

*An estimated 1 million people are treated for TBI and released from hospital emergency rooms every year.

*Each year, 80,000 Americans experience the onset of long-term disability following TBI.

*More than 50,000 people die every year as a result of a TBI (22% of persons with a TBI die).

*Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of brain injury. They account for 50% of all TBIs.

*Falls are the second leading cause of all TBIs, and the leading cause of brain injury in the elderly.

*The risk for TBI is highest among adolescents, young adults and those older than 75.

*After one brain injury, the risk for a second injury is 3 times greater; after the second injury, the risk for a third injury is 8 times greater.


***All above statistics are according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control.

The cost of traumatic brain injury in the U.S.

The cost of traumatic brain injury in the United States is estimated to be $48.3 billion annually. Hospitalization accounts for $31.7 billion, and fatal brain injuries cost the nation $16.6 billion each year.


***According to the National Foundation for the Brain***

Incidence of brain injuries in Pennsylvania

Estimates for the year 2000 for the incidence in Pennsylvania:

*2,033 fatalities due to brain injury

*7,804 hospitalizations due to brain injury

*41,282 emergency room visits due to brain injury

*2,762 persons with new disabilities due to brain injury

***According to estimates by the Center for Disease Control***

Consequences of brain injuries

Cognitive consequences can include:
*Short-term and long-term memory loss
*Slowed ability to process information
*Trouble concentrating or paying attention for periods of time
*Difficulty keeping up with a conversation
*Other communication difficulties such as word finding problems
*Spatial disorientation
*Organizational problems and impaired judgement
*Inability to do more than one thing at a time

Physical consequences can include:
*Seizures of all types
*Muscle spasticity
*Double vision or low vision, including possible blindness
*Loss of smell or taste
*Speech impairments such as slow or slurred speech
*Headaches or migraines
*Fatigue, increased need for sleep
*Balance problems
*Pain
*Motor control problems or paralysis

Emotional consequences can include:
*Lack of initiating activities, or once started, difficulty in completing tasks without reminders
*Increased anxiety
*Depression and mood swings
*Denial of deficits
*Impulsive behavior
*More easily agitated
*Egocentric behaviors with difficulty seeing how behaviors can affect others

***information provided by the Brain Injury Association***