About Brain Injury

An estimated 5.3 million Americans - a little more than 2 percent of the U.S. population - currently live with disabilities resulting from traumatic brain injury.

Every 21 seconds, one person in the U.S. Sustains a Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Definition:

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) Definition:

Injury to the brain which is not hereditary, congenital, or degenerative that has occurred after birth. (Includes anoxia, aneurysms, infections to the brain and stroke.)

  • 1.5 Million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury each 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 TBI.
  • The risk of TBI is highest among adolescents, young adults and those older than 75
  • After one brain injury, the risk for a second brain injury is three times greater; after the second injury, the risk for a third injury is eight times greater

The Cost of Brain Injury

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.

Percentage of TBI Causes
1995, 1996 - 14 States: RI, NY, MD, SC, MN, LA, NE, OK, UT, AK, CA (Sacramento County only)

  • Transportation – 44%
  • Falls – 26%
  • Other or Unknown – 13%
  • Non Firearm Assaults – 9%
  • Firearms – 8%

Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of brain injury. Falls are the second leading cause, and the leading cause of brain injury in the elderly.

The Consequences of Brain Injury

Cognitive Consequences can include:

  • Short-term memory loss; 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
  • Unable to do more than one thing at a time
  • A lack of initiating activities, or once started, difficulty completing tasks without reminders

Physical Consequences can include:

  • Seizures of all types
  • Muscle spasticity
  • Double vision or low vision, even blindness
  • Loss of smell or taste
  • Speech impairments such as slow or slurred speech
  • Headaches or migraines
  • Fatigue, increased need for sleep
  • Balance problems

Emotional Consequences can include:

  • Increased anxiety
  • Depression and mood swings
  • Impulsive behavior
  • More easily agitated
  • Egocentric behaviors; difficulty seeing how behaviors can affect others

TBI Incidence

A Comparison of Traumatic Brain Injury and Leading Injuries or Diseases – Annual Incidence

Traumatic Brain Injuries: 1,500,000
Breast Cancer: 176,300
HIV/AIDS: 43,681
Spinal Cord Injuries: 11,000
Multiple Sclerosis: 10,400

On an annual basis in the United States:

  • 1.5 million people will sustain a TBI annually
  • 50,000 people will die annually as a result of TBI
  • 80,000 people annually experience the onset of long-term disabilities following TBI
  • There are currently 5.3 million Americans living with a disability as a result of a TBI

Spinal Cord Injury

On an annual basis in the United States:

  • Nearly 11,000 people sustain a traumatic spinal cord injury
  • More than 190,000 people in the U.S. live with paralysis caused by spinal cord injury
  • 85 percent of all spinal cord injury patients who survive 24 hours after their injury are still living ten years after the incident

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