The human brain is one of the most complex organs in the body, and any injury to it can have significant and long-lasting effects. Brain injuries can occur in many different ways, from sports-related concussions to strokes and traumatic accidents. Learn more in this study by Las Vegas personal injury firm, The Janda Law Firm.
Understanding Brain Injuries
Understanding how the brain works and what happens when it gets injured is important. The brain is responsible for controlling all bodily functions and movements, as well as our thoughts, emotions, and senses. When an injury occurs, it can disrupt these functions, leading to a range of symptoms, from mild to severe.
Physical Health Impacts
TBIs often result in several physical complications, including:
- Mobility and Movement Issues: Injuries may cause weakness, paralysis, spasticity, or ataxia, leading to difficulties with coordination and balance.
- Sensory Impairments: Damage to the brain can affect vision, hearing, touch, taste, or smell, potentially leading to partial or complete loss of these senses.
- Chronic Pain and Headaches: Persistent headaches and neuropathic pain are common, often resulting from nerve damage or increased intracranial pressure.
- Fatigue: A frequent consequence of TBIs, fatigue can significantly impact daily functioning and quality of life.
Mental Health Impacts
The cognitive and emotional repercussions of TBIs are equally significant:
- Cognitive Impairments: Individuals may experience difficulties with attention, concentration, memory, and executive functions, affecting their ability to work, study, and perform daily activities.
- Emotional and Behavioral Changes: TBIs can lead to mood swings, irritability, depression, anxiety, and a lack of empathy. Some individuals may also exhibit impulsivity, aggression, or inappropriate social behavior.
- Increased Risk of Psychiatric Disorders: There is a heightened risk of developing conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and substance abuse disorders following a TBI.
Types of Brain Injuries
There are several types of brain injuries, each having its own set of causes, symptoms, and treatment options. Here are the most common types:
Concussion
Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury that occurs when the brain is shaken or jolted inside the skull. They are often caused by sports-related injuries or car accidents. Symptoms can include headache, dizziness, confusion, and memory loss.
Contusion
A contusion is a bruise on the brain, which occurs when the brain hits the inside of the skull. They can be caused by a blow to the head or a violent shaking. Symptoms can include headache, vomiting, seizures, and loss of consciousness.
Hematoma
A hematoma is a collection of blood outside of the blood vessels, which can occur in the brain as a result of a head injury. They can be classified as epidural, subdural, or intracerebral depending on where they occur in the brain. Symptoms can include headache, confusion, and difficulty speaking or moving.
Stroke
A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, either by a blood clot or a burst blood vessel. This can cause brain damage and lead to symptoms such as paralysis, difficulty speaking or understanding language, and loss of vision.
Traumatic Brain Injury
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a broad term that encompasses any injury to the brain caused by an external force, such as a blow to the head or a car accident. Symptoms can range from mild, such as headache and dizziness, to severe, such as loss of consciousness and coma.
Recent Brain Injury Mortality Statistics
- According to data from 2021, there were over 69,000 TBI-related deaths in the United States. This averages out to 190 deaths per day.
- Men were nearly two times more likely to be hospitalized due to TBI and three times more likely to die a TBI-related death.
Examining Age and Gender as Predictors of Brain Injury Outcomes
Age and gender are two factors that have been studied in correlation to traumatic brain injuries requiring hospitalization.
The Role of Age in Brain Injury Outcomes
| Age | Number of Hospitalizations (2016-2017) | Number of Deaths (2016-2017) |
|---|---|---|
| 0-17 | 37140 | 5508 |
| 0-4 | 13895 | 1458 |
| 5-9 | 5810 | 584 |
| 10-14 | 7285 | 1025 |
| 15-24 | 46330 | 13949 |
| 25-34 | 45665 | 15052 |
| 35-44 | 36130 | 12294 |
| 45-54 | 46395 | 14267 |
| 55-64 | 56335 | 16079 |
| 65-74 | 60420 | 14112 |
| 75+ | 132485 | 31845 |
| Total | 450775 | 120647 |
- Among all age groups, individuals aged 75 years and above had the highest incidence of TBI-related hospitalizations and deaths in both 2016 and 2017.
- Adults over the age of 75 made up half of the TBI-related hospitalizations caused by unintentional falls and accounted for two-thirds of the TBI-related deaths resulting from such falls.
- Individuals aged 15-24 years old had the highest rates of TBI-related deaths and hospitalizations resulting from motor vehicle crashes. Those aged 25-34 years had the second-highest rate of TBI-related deaths and hospitalizations, followed closely by adults aged 75 years and above.
- Children between the ages of 0-17 years old were at a higher risk of TBI-related hospitalizations caused by falls and motor vehicle crashes, and those in this age group also had a higher susceptibility to TBI-related deaths resulting from motor vehicle collisions.
- The age groups with the highest incidence of TBI-related hospitalizations per 100,000 population were:
- The elderly population aged 75 years and above
- Adults in the age range of 65-74 years old
- Those between the ages of 55-64 years old had the third-highest rate of TBI-related hospitalizations.
The Role of Gender in Brain Injury Outcomes
| Gender | Number of Hospitalizations (2016-2017) | Number of Deaths (2016-2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 17985 | 32179 |
| Male | 276685 | 88495 |
- Males have significantly higher rates of TBI-related hospitalization and TBI-related deaths compared to females for all mechanisms of injury which includes unintentional falls, motor vehicle crashes, suicide, and homicide.
- Males that are American Indian or Alaska Native displayed high rates of TBI-related deaths when compared to other racial groups due to motor vehicle crashes.
- Women are more likely to die from unintentional falls than unintentional motor vehicle crashes, suicide, homicide, and other TBI-related deaths.
Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries can occur from taking a blow to the head. Research has shown that they occur from the following:
Unintentional Motor Vehicle Accidents
| Age | Number of Deaths (2016-2017) |
|---|---|
| 0-17 | 1921 |
| 0-4 | 444 |
| 5-9 | 313 |
| 10-14 | 364 |
| 15-24 | 4715 |
| 25-34 | 4351 |
| 35-44 | 3020 |
| 45-54 | 3045 |
| 55-64 | 2853 |
| 65-74 | 1820 |
| 75+ | 1714 |
| Total | 22639 |
- Motor vehicle crashes were the third most common cause of TBI-related fatalities in 2016-2017.
- Motor vehicle crashes were the second leading cause of TBI-related hospitalizations, with an average age-adjusted rate of 16.9.
- Unintentional motor vehicle crashes accounted for approximately 17% of all TBI-related deaths with an average annual rate of 3.1 per 100,000 population.
- Motor vehicle crashes accounted for approximately 25% of all TBI-related hospitalizations in 2016 and 2017.
Unintentional Falls
| Age | Number of Deaths (2016-2017) |
|---|---|
| 0-17 | 100 |
| 0-4 | 35 |
| 5-9 | 13 |
| 10-14 | – |
| 15-24 | 604 |
| 25-34 | 392 |
| 35-44 | 645 |
| 45-54 | 1617 |
| 55-64 | 3402 |
| 65-74 | 5360 |
| 75+ | 22411 |
| Total | 34104 |
- Unintentional falls accounted for approximately 30% of TBI-related deaths.
- Unintentional falls were the leading cause of injury for TBI-related hospitalizations during 2016 and 2017.
Suicide
| Age | Number of Deaths (2016-2017) |
|---|---|
| 0-17 | – |
| 0-4 | – |
| 5-9 | – |
| 10-14 | 335 |
| 15-24 | 5388 |
| 25-34 | 6389 |
| 35-44 | 5649 |
| 45-54 | 6705 |
| 55-64 | 6939 |
| 65-74 | 5050 |
| 75+ | 4908 |
| Total | 41364 |
- Suicide accounted for 35.5% (data not shown) of TBI-related deaths and an average annual age-adjusted rate of 7.2 per 100,000 population.
- Suicide was a leading cause of TBI-related deaths and accounted for 35.5% of TBI-related deaths.
Location Where Brain Injuries Occur the Most
- Among all U.S. Census regions, individuals living in the South had the highest rates of TBI-related deaths, followed by the Midwest, West, and Northeast regions.
Sources:
CDC: Traumatic brain injury-related hospitalizations and deaths by age group, sex, and mechanism of injury
CDC: Traumatic Brain Injury-related Deaths by Age Group, Sex, and Mechanism of Injury