A form of acquired brain injury, that occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent and location of the damage. A person with a mild TBI may remain conscious or may experience a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. Other symptoms of mild TBI may include headache, confusion, light-headedness, dizziness, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking. A person with a moderate or severe TBI may show these same symptoms, but may also have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, and increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) refers to any class of mechanical injury to the brain. Approximately 100,000 children and adolescents are hospitalized annually for TBI. It is estimated that an additional 100,000 children sustain TBI annually but either do not seek medical treatment or are treated and released by emergency facilities. TBI is one of the leading causes of hospitalization and mortality throughout childhood and adolescence, with the incidence peaking sharply between the ages of 15 and 24 years. Males are two to four times more likely than females to sustain a head injury, particularly during adolescence.
Any injury involving direct trauma to the head, accompanied by alterations in mental status or consciousness. TBI is one of the most common causes of neurological dysfunction in the U.S. Each year about 50,000 people die from brain trauma, and an additional 70,000 to 90,000 sustain persistent neurological impairment because of it. About 5.3 million Americans live with TBI disabilities. The most common causes of TBI are motor vehicle or bicycle collisions; falls; gunshot wounds; assaults and abuse; and sports-related injuries. Twice as many males as females suffer TBIs, with the incidence highest be tween ages 15 and 24. People over the age of 75 (because of falls) are also frequently affected.