TBI The Invisible Injury
TBI:
The Invisible Injury
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head
injury. The injury is caused by falls, motor vehicle crashes, assaults and other
incidents. Blasts are a leading cause of TBI for active duty military personnel in
war zones.
Any TBI—whether diagnosed as mild, moderate or severe—can temporarily or
permanently impair a person’s cognitive skills, interfere with emotional wellbeing
and diminish physical abilities.
Individuals with TBI may experience memory loss; concentration or attention
problems; slowed learning; and difficulty with planning, reasoning, or judgment.
Emotional and behavioral consequences include depression, anxiety,
impulsivity, aggression, and thoughts of suicide.
Physical challenges of TBI may include fatigue, headaches, problems with
balance or motor skills, sensory losses, seizures, and endocrine dysfunction.
TBI often leads to respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and neurological diseases,
including epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.
Poor outcomes after TBI result from shortened length of stays in both inpatient
and outpatient medical settings; insurance coverage denials for rehabilitative
treatment; and inadequate funding for public services. Too often individuals with
TBI are prematurely discharged to untrained, unsupported family caregivers or
inappropriately placed in nursing homes, psychiatric institutions or correctional
facilities.
Maximal recovery and long-term health maintenance for people with brain injury
can only be achieved through a comprehensive, coordinated neurotrauma
disease management system providing for immediate treatment, medicallynecessary
rehabilitation, and supportive services delivered by appropriately
trained TBI specialists in the public and private sectors.
