Although a lot larger than the majority of people would guess the quantity of people with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is hard to assess. There are approximately 1.5 million people in the United States who have experienced a traumatic brain injury within the year, 85,000 people have long term disabilities, and 50,000  die from TBI according to the CDC (United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

People in the U.S. who survive with disabilities caused by TBI are greater than 5.3 million. Those treated in an ER or doctor’s clinic are not even counted whereas patients admitted to a hospital for TBI are included.

TBI’s causes are sorted differently. Vehicular accident, violence and falls are the 3 top causes. 9 out of 10 people die from firearm injuries and/or violence, thus, these injuries are deadly.

The age groups at highest risk for TBI are the male teenagers and young adults aging 15 to 24 years old, who suffer TBI at the rate just about twice that of females; the very young (under 5 years old) and the elderly (mostly over 75 years old) who generally sufferd due to falls.

Individuals are as well at risk to spinal cord injuries next to a traumatic brain injury which is an additional type of traumatic injury that can result by vehicular accidents, firearms/violence and falls.

In view of the fact that there is no cure for TBI, prevention is still the best approach.

Mechanisms of Injury

The chief causes of brain injury are the mechanisms that follow such as: Open head Injury, Closed Head Injury, Deceleration Injuries, Chemical/Toxic, Hypoxia, Tumors, Infections and Stroke.

Open Head Injury

• Split or crack in the continuity of the skull cause by forceful penetrating trauma
• May occur with or without damage to the brain
• Outcomes from gunfire wounds or an ice pick, etc …
• chiefly focal damage
• Penetration through the skull or open fracture, indicting a scalp laceration or tear in the dura, or close in which the dura is intact.
• consequences can be equally as severe as closed brain injury

Closed Head Injury

• Resulting from a slip and fall, motor vehicle crashes, etc.
• Trauma may result in an abrasion, contusion, laceration, or hematoma beneath the layers of tissue of the scalp.
• Large avulsions of the scalp may be potentially life-threatening and are true emergencies.
• Focal damage and disseminating injury to axons
• Effects be likely to be extensive (diffuse)
• No penetration through the skull

Deceleration Injuries or Diffuse Axonal Injury

Solid and rigid is our skull whereas our brain has the consistency of soft gelatin. Within the skull the brain is encased.

The space and/or cavity and the quick discontinuation of this action throughout the movement of the skull (acceleration), when the skull meets a motionless object (deceleration) this causes the brain to progress inside the skull.

The soft brain moves at a diverse rate compared to the skull. Due to their relative weightlessness or heaviness, various components of the brain move at dissimilar speeds.

As a result of diffuse axonal shearing, bruise and brain swelling (edema), the degree of different movement of the skull and the brain when the head is struck consequentially will turn to direct brain injury.

Diffuse axonal injury in the cerebral hemispheres, corpus callosum, and brain stem entails widespread damage to axons. This results in axonal swelling and disconnection while it can be seen in mild, moderate or severe head trauma.

The patient who has no clear intervals experiences immediate coma, decorticate and decerebrate posturing, and global cerebral edema.

In support equipment such as a CT scan or MRI, the diagnosis is made through clinical signs. Through the severity of the axonal damage is where the recuperation depends on.

Diffuse axonal shearing

Because of the jellylike consistency when the brain is forcefully struck back and forth within the skull it is alternately squeezed together and stretched; as well as the delicate, lengthy axons of the neurons (distinct nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord).

The so-called axonal shearing is when the axons are expanded until they are tattered if the impact is strong enough. The neuron dies when this happens. There is considerable axonal shearing and neuron death following a severe brain injury.

Hypoxia (deficiency of oxygen in the tissues)

• Irreversible brain injury can occur from anoxia (no oxygen) or hypoxia (reduced oxygen) If the blood flow is depleted of oxygen
• For this to occur it may take only a few minutes (4 to 6 minutes- causes brain damage, 10 minutes and more- causes irreversible brain injury)
• Heart attacks, respiratory failure, drops in blood pressure and a low oxygen environment may cause this condition.
• Severe cognitive and memory deficits will result from this type of brain injury.

Chemical / Toxic substances

• As well recognized as metabolic disorders
• This takes place when damaging chemicals injure the neurons
• Chemicals and toxic substances can comprise insecticides, solvents, carbon monoxide poisoning, lead poisoning, etc.

Tumors

• Tumors caused by cancer can develop on or over the brain
• Tumors can cause brain injury by occupying the significant spaces of the brain and causing direct damage
• Damage can moreover result from pressure effects around an engorged tumor
• Surgical procedures to eradicate the growth tumor may in addition contribute to brain injury

All of these may resulted to the following such as:

-          Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral edema

-          Seizure activity and focal neurological signs

-          Hydrocephalus

-          Altered pituitary function

Stroke

• Cell death in the part of the brain deprived of blood will effect if blood circulation is blocked through a cerebral vascular accident (apoplexy/stroke).
• Due to a tear in an artery or vein if there is excessive flow of blood in or over the brain (hemorrhage or hematoma), damage to the brain tissue by the blood caused by loss of blood flow will in addition result in brain injury.

Infections

• If the particular blood-brain protective structure is breached, the brain and surrounding membranes will turn to be extremely risk to infections.

Meningitis and Encephalitis as a result of bacteria and virus infection can cause severe and life-threatening diseases of the brain and meninges.