Traumatic Brain Injury: General Brain Injury Information

Janet Frick, the executive director of the Mental Health Association of Lebanon County, has written an interesting article that outlines the effects of traumatic brain injury. Crashed cars serve as a sobering reminder of the dangers of everyday life. However, we rarely think about the consequences of the accident for those involved in the accident and their families. Each day 140 people die from traumatic brain injury and 6,300 go on to survive with disabilities. TBI affects more than one and a half million Americans each year, eight times the number who is diagnosed with breast cancer. Car accidents are responsible for 50% of all TBIs, but violence, suicidal behavior, and assault with weapons

A primer on brain injuries caused by trauma

In the United States, two percent of the entire population is living with permanent, TBI-related disabilities. Traumatic brain injury is caused when a sudden physical assault on the head causes damage to the brain. TBI can occur in the form of a closed head injury or an open head injury. Damage to any major blood vessel in the head can cause bleeding in the brain, which can lead to injury. The extent of the brain injury is dependent upon the severity of the hit, but also the health, age, and the location of the injury. Common TBI disabilities include difficulty in memory, sensory processing, communication skills, and behavior.