TBI may cause problems with

• Cognition (concentration, memory, judgment, and mood).
• Movement abilities (strength, coordination, and balance).
• Sensation (tactile sensation and special senses such as vision).
• Emotion (instability and impulsivity). (Thurman et al. 1999)

Repeated mild brain injuries occurring over an extended period of time (i.e., months, years) can result in cumulative neurological and cognitive deficits. Repeated mild brain injuries occurring within a short period of time (i.e., hours, days, or weeks) can be catastrophic or fatal (CDC 1997a).

At least 5.3 million Americans — 2% of the U.S. population — currently live with disabilities resulting from TBI (Thurman et al. 1999). (This estimate is based on the number of people hospitalized with TBI each year and does not include people seen in Emergency Departments who were not admitted to the hospital, those seen in private doctor's offices, and those who do not receive medical care.)

An estimated 15% of persons who sustain a mild brain injury continue to experience negative consequences one year after injury (Guerrero et al. 2000).

TBI can cause seizure disorders such as epilepsy (Hauser et al. 1993).

The following general tips can aid in recovery:

• Get lots of rest. Don't rush back to daily activities such as work or school.
• Avoid doing anything that could cause another blow or jolt to the head.
• Ask your doctor when it's safe to drive a car, ride a bike, or use heavy equipment, because your ability to react may be slower after a brain injury.
• Take only the drugs your doctor has approved, and don't drink alcohol until your doctor says it's OK.
• Write things down if you have a hard time remembering.
• If your brain injury was severe, you may need therapy to learn skills that were lost, such as speaking, walking, or reading. Your doctor can help arrange rehabilitation services. (CDC 1999a)

Direct and indirect costs of TBI totaled an estimated $56.3 billion in the U.S. in 1995 (Thurman 2001).

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Facts about concussion and brain injury, 1999a.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sports-related recurrent brain injuries—United States. MMWR 1997a;46(10):224–7.

Guerrero J, Thurman DJ, Sniezek JE. Emergency department visits associated with traumatic brain injury: United States, 1995 – 1996. Brain Injury 2000; 14(2):181-6.

Hauser WA, Annegers JF. Epidemiology of epilepsy. In: Laidlaw J, Richens A, Chadwick D, editors. A Textbook of Epilepsy. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 1993. p. 23-45.

Thurman D, Alverson C, Dunn K, Guerrero J, Sniezek J. Traumatic brain injury in the United States: a public health perspective. Journal of Head Trauma and Rehabilitation 1999;14(6):602–15.

Thurman D. The epidemiology and economics of head trauma. In: Miller L, Hayes R, editors. Head Trauma: Basic, Preclinical, and Clinical Directions. New York (NY): Wiley and Sons; 2001.