What is Traumatic Brain Injury?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both.  TBI presents a broad spectrum of symptoms and disabilities and the impact on a person and his or her family can be devastating.

The number of people with TBI is difficult to assess accurately but the number is much larger than you would expect.  According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are about 1.5 million people in the U.S. who suffer from a traumatic brain injury each year.   In the U.S., more than 5.3 million people live with disabilities as a result of TBI.  The top three causes are: car and motorcycle accidents, firearms and falls.  The number has been higher in recent years due to the number of U.S. servicemembers receiving TBI in combat.

Research

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the National Institutes of Health, conducts and supports research on TBI to better understand the biological mechanisms of injury, to develop tools for improved diagnosis, and to develop effective treatments to improve functional outcomes and quality of life.

The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command conducts $150 million dollars worth of congressionally-mandated research into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and TBI.  The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Martinez, California VA medical center houses 34 researchers and scientists and has received $2.6 million in subsidies from the VA.