Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Each year, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) result in the death of over 2,000 New York State residents and the hospitalization of over 18,000 New Yorkers. Along with thousands of deaths and hospitalizations each year, an estimated 75% of all TBI cases are treated and released from emergency departments. Recent data shows that, on average, approximately 1.7 million people in the U.S. sustain a traumatic brain injury annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The risks of TBIs can be reduced by taking such steps as wearing a seat belt in a motor vehicle, using appropriate child safety seats properly, wearing sports-specific head gear when involved in athletics and taking steps to prevent falls for persons of all ages.
Traumatic brain injury is also a significant health issue that affects service members and veterans. The rate of combat-related brain injuries in service members returning from the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan is higher than in previous conflicts. Blast injuries are a significant cause of TBIs. The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center reports that between 2000 and the second quarter of 2010, there were 188,270 medically diagnosed cases of TBI in the U.S. military
- View the Video: Coming Home: Families, Courage, and Resilience after Brain Injury, a personal view into the lives of veterans who have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the services available to help in their recovery.
What is a TBI?
Types of traumatic brain injury
- Penetrating head injuries occur when an object, like a rock, a piece of metal or shrapnel, enters the brain and causes damage in a specific area.
- Closed head injuries occur when there's a blow to the head, which can happen during a fall, car crashes, sporting event, or any number of different ways.
TBI can cause a wide range of functional changes affecting thinking, sensation, language, or emotions.
