Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death & disability in the U.S.
Approximately 166 Americans die everyday from TBI-related injuries. TBI is an injury caused by a blow, jolt, or penetrating object that disrupts normal functioning of the brain at any age. TBI can result in serious damage to the brain that can lead to long-term complications and death. CDC reports that more than 2.8 million U.S. people sustain a TBI each year; of those, more than 55,000 die and more than 280,000 are hospitalized.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has designated March to raise awareness about what is a significant cause of death and impairment in America. There are more than 5.3 million people in the U.S., including children, who are living with permanent brain injuries.
Be an advocate for BIAA by helping to spread awareness about how brain injuries can lead to a permanent alteration of one’s life. Learn more about brain injury basics, diagnosis, research, treatment options, resources and more at biausa.org.
For more information, click on your state to find your local Brain Injury Association (BIA), email or call (800) 444-6443 to speak with a Brain Injury Expert today!
Differences in severity of damage to the brain after TBI is the primary factor in predicting the injury’s impact on the individual. TBI is typically categorized as mild, moderate, or severe.
Mild TBI or Concussion:
Moderate or Severe TBI:
A person of any age can experience a TBI, but data suggest that some groups are at greater risk for experiencing a TBI or having worse health outcomes after the injury.
Keeping children and teens healthy and safe is always a top priority. Whether you are a parent, youth sports coach, school coach, school professional, or health care provider, it is important to recognize, respond to, and minimize the risk of concussion or other serious brain injury. General prevention and safety measures include using gates at top and bottom of stairs to prevent serious falls; playing at playgrounds with soft material like mulch or sand to lessen impact; properly installing age- and size-appropriate car and booster seats; and making sure children and teens wear helmets that fit correctly when engaging in activities.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
TBI affects who we are and the way we think, act, and feel. It can change everything about us in a matter of seconds.
For example, a TBI to the frontal lobes of an individual’s brain may affect their ability to control emotions, impulses, and behavior or may cause difficulty in recalling events or speaking. TBI to the temporal lobes may lead an individual to demonstrate difficulty with communication or memory. TBI to the parietal lobes may cause an individual to experience trouble with their five primary senses. TBI to the cerebellum may affect an individual’s balance, movement, and coordination. And TBI to the occipital lobes may cause an individual to have trouble seeing or perceiving the size and shape of objects.
More specifically, research shows that TBI incurred on the Left side of the brain may cause:
Whereas TBI incurred on the Right side of the brain may cause:
Source: Brain Injury Association of America
A concussion is a mild type of traumatic brain injury—or TBI—caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, creating chemical changes in the brain and sometimes stretching and damaging brain cells.
An individual with a concussion…
Physical signs & symptoms of a concussion include:
Mental signs & symptoms of a concussion include:
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1 – Buckle Up Every Ride
Wear a seat belt every time you drive–or ride–in a motor vehicle.
2 – Never Drive While Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs
3 – Wear a Helmet, or Appropriate Headgear
4 – Prevent Falls in Older Adults
5 – Make Living & Play Areas Safer for Children
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Return-to-Learn (RTL) is a fast, comprehensive assessment program for any high school student with a concussion.
The program coordinates care between physicians, parents, and school administrators to offer best practice academic accommodations to help students return to their full classroom capacity more quickly. It was developed by Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center (HIPRC) researchers and is backed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
RTL is based on research, clinical expertise, focus groups with school staff, and surveys of students impacted by concussion. The program features a concussion protocol that focuses on getting students back in the classroom through best practices in academic accommodations. The program was created by synthesizing the best practice recommendations from many sources and the research of the HIPRC. In Washington State, if someone has active symptoms after having a concussion they cannot play in any organized sports per state law. Washington was first to adapt this legislation through the Zachery Lystedt Law.
“Return-to-Learn refers to the idea that students with a concussion should have attention paid to the pace and nature of how they return to academics,” explains HIPRC director Dr. Vavilala.
RTL provides a step-by-step toolkit:
RTL includes a packet with a weekly checklist to help staff evaluate symptoms, as well as corresponding academic adjustments and accommodations to match. It also provides information on when students should seek additional treatment, and how to foster coordination between teachers and other applicable school staff to ensure the student’s needs are being met.
For more information on RTL, visit: Return-to-Learn – Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center (hiprc.org)
PEGASUS, a global partnership led by Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center (HIPRC), is aiming to improve outcomes after severe pediatric TBI with support from a grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The partnership with Centro de Informática e Investigación Clínica in Rosario, Argentina, Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C., and HIPRC in Seattle is studying best practice guideline adherence and outcomes in severe pediatric TBI treatment in Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay.
Pediatric TBI is the leading killer of children worldwide, and learning how to provide the best care possible in a variety of settings is critical to reducing the harms from these injuries.
For more information, visit: TBI Argentina – Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center (hiprc.org)
Traumatic Brain Injury: Progress and Unmet needs – (Click to view)
Brain Injury Today Podcast: Dr. Monica Vavilala – (Click to view)
Traumatic Brain Injury Categories Should Be Updated and Personalized to Better Guide Patient Care, Says New Report – (Click to view)
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March is Brain Injury Awareness Month – (PNG) | (JPG)
Overview: Traumatic Brain Injury – (PNG) | (JPG)
Concussions: Signs & Symptoms – (PNG) | (JPG)
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March is Brain Injury Awareness Month – (PDF)
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Listen & share!
Episode 26: Dr. Monica Vavilala, A Roadmap for Accelerating Progress – (Click to listen)
Watch & share!
TBI Topics: Pediatric Return-to-Learn after Concussion – (Click to view)
Source: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development
Learn from experts working in research and community programs around pediatric concussion and the school-based Return-to-Learn program. This webinar discusses the documented need and collaborative development of a school-based program to support high school students returning to school after a concussion diagnosis.
For more information on RTL, visit: Return-to-Learn – Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center (hiprc.org)
Each year, approximately 37,200 children sustain a severe TBI. Severe pediatric TBI is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Of the children who survive TBI, more than 50% experience unfavorable outcomes up to 6 months after the injury. All types of TBI can seriously affect a child’s daily life.
Putting prevention strategies in place will help reduce the risk of TBI in children of all ages:
To learn more about TBI, visit: nih.gov/health/topics/tbi
Source: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development