Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Causes and Symptoms

by CDC

What is Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of a TBI may range from "mild," i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to "severe," i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury.

How many people have TBI?

TBIs contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability annually.

Of the 1.4 million who sustain a TBI each year in the United States: 50,000 die; 235,000 are hospitalized; and 1.1 million are treated and released from an emergency department.

Among children ages 0 to 14 years, TBI results in an estimated: 2,685 deaths; 37,000 hospitalizations; and 435,000 emergency department visits annually.

The number of people with TBI who are not seen in an emergency department or who receive no care is unknown.

What causes TBI?

The leading causes of TBI are: Falls (28%); Motor vehicle-traffic crashes (20%); Struck by/against events (19%); and Assaults (11%).

What are the signs and symptoms of TBI?

The signs and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be subtle. Symptoms of a TBI may not appear until days or weeks following the injury or may even be missed as people may look fine even though they may act or feel differently.

What are the long-term outcomes of TBI?

CDC estimates that at least 5.3 million Americans, approximately 2% of the U.S. population, currently have a long-term or lifelong need for help to perform activities of daily living as a result of a TBI.

TBI can cause a wide range of functional changes affecting thinking, sensation, language, and/or emotions. It can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age.

What are the costs of TBI?

Direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity of TBI totaled an estimated $60 billion in the United States in 2000.

Overview

TBIs contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability annually. CDC estimates that at least 5.3 million Americans, about 2% of the U.S. population, currently have a long-term or lifelong need for help to perform activities of daily living as a result of a TBI.1

The severity of a TBI may range from "mild," i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to "severe," i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. Approximately 75% of TBIs that occur each year are concussions or other forms of mild TBI.

Groups at Risk

• Males are about twice as likely as females to sustain a TBI.
• The two age groups at highest risk for TBI are 0 to 4 year olds and 15 to 19 year olds.
• Adults age 75 years or older have the highest rates of TBI-related hospitalization and death.
• Certain military duties (e.g., paratrooper) increase the risk of sustaining a TBI.
• African Americans have the highest death rate from TBI.
• TBI hospitalization rates are highest among African Americans and American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN).

Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain.

Falls: Falls are the leading cause of TBI; rates are highest for children ages 0 to 4 years and adults ages 75 years and older.

Motor Vehicle-Traffic Crashes: Motor vehicle-traffic causes result in the greatest number of TBI-related hospitalizations. The rate of motor vehicle-traffic-related TBI is highest among adolescents ages 15 to 19 years.

Struck By/Against Events: Struck by/against events, which include colliding with a moving or stationary object, are the third leading cause of TBI.

Assaults: Firearm use is the leading cause of death related to TBI. Nine out of 10 people with a firearm-related TBI die. Nearly two thirds of firearm-related TBIs are classified as suicidal in intent. Blasts are a leading cause of TBI for active duty military personnel in war zones.

Signs and Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury

The signs and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be subtle. Symptoms of a TBI may not appear until days or weeks following the injury or may even be missed as people may look fine even though they may act or feel differently. The following are some common signs and symptoms of a TBI:

• Headaches or neck pain that do not go away;
• Difficulty remembering, concentrating, or making decisions;
• Slowness in thinking, speaking, acting, or reading;
• Getting lost or easily confused;
• Feeling tired all of the time, having no energy or motivation;
• Mood changes (feeling sad or angry for no reason);
• Changes in sleep patterns (sleeping a lot more or having a hard time sleeping);
• Light-headedness, dizziness, or loss of balance;
• Urge to vomit (nausea);
• Increased sensitivity to lights, sounds, or distractions;
• Blurred vision or eyes that tire easily;
• Loss of sense of smell or taste; and
• Ringing in the ears.

About the Author

www.cdc.gov
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the 13 major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is the principal agency in the United States government for protecting the health and safety of all Americans and for providing essential human services, especially for those people who are least able to help themselves.