A brain injury is an injury to the brain that occurs after birth and is not congenital, degenerative, or hereditary. Some examples include: stroke, exposure to toxic substances, oxygen deprivation, infectious disease, and trauma. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an insult to the brain caused by an external physical force, such as occurs in a motor vehicle accidents, falls, assaults, sports-related injury, and proximity to explosions/blast injuries. A concussion is a mild TBI.
A brain injury may produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness, and results in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning. It can also result in the disturbance of behavioral or emotional functioning. These impairments may be either temporary or permanent and cause partial or total functional disability or psychosocial maladjustment.
- Every 13 seconds, someone in the U.S. sustains a traumatic brain injury.
- More than 795,000 people have a stroke each year.
- One out of three adults 65 and older falls each year; falls are the leading cause of death for this age group.
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For more statistical information on brain injury, contact the Centers for Disease Control or the NYS Department of Health. Statistics on this page are based on the CDC National TBI Estimates