Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury to the brain or skull caused by an external force, such as a strike or impact. Brain injuries are often permanent and disabling, unlike other injuries, such as broken legs or cuts that can heal.

Each year, TBIs result in more than 2,000 deaths, 18,000 hospitalizations, and 82,000 emergency department visits among New York State residents.

The risk of sustaining a TBI is:

• greatest for young children, young adults and the elderly.
• greater for males than females. Males are almost twice as likely to be hospitalized with a TBI.

The leading causes of TBI continue to be falls, motor vehicle crashes, and assaults.