Brain Injury Association of Oklahoma
What is Traumatic Brain Injury?
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of such an injury may range from "mild," i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to "severe," i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. A TBI can result in short or long-term problems with independent function.
Each year, at least 1.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury resulting in more than 4,000 individuals sustaining a TBI on a daily basis. One million people are treated and released annually from hospital emergency rooms after sustaining a brain injury. Brain injury claims more than 50,000 lives and leaves more than 80,000 individuals with lifelong disabilities each year. The silent epidemic of brain injury is illustrated best by a 1999 statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - there currently are at least 5.3 million Americans living with a disability as a result of brain injury.
- Every 21 seconds a brain injury occurs in the United States.
- Approximately 5.3 million Americans (2% of US population) live with disabilities from brain injuries.
- Each year ONE MILLION people are treated and released from emergency rooms and 50,000 people die.
- The cost of traumatic brain injury, in the United States, exceeds $48 BILLION annually.
- Brain injuries are the #1 killer of persons under the age of 44. They kill more Americans under the age of 34 than all diseases combined.
The leading causes of TBI:
- Falls (28%);
- Motor vehicle-traffic crashes (20%);
- Struck by/against (19%);
- Assaults (11%);
- Blasts are a leading cause of TBI for active duty military personnel in war zones.
Who is at risk for a TBI?
Males are about 1.5 times as likely as females to sustain a TBI. The two age groups at highest risk for TBI are 0 to 4 year olds and 15 to 19 year olds. Certain military duties (e.g., paratrooper) increase the risk of sustaining a TBI. African Americans have the highest death rate from TBI.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that at least 5.3 million Americans currently have a long-term or lifelong need for help to perform activities of daily living as a result of a TBI.
According to one study, about 40% of those hospitalized with a TBI had at least one unmet need for services one year after their injury. The most frequent unmet needs were:
- Improving memory and problem solving;
- Managing stress and emotional upsets;
- Controlling one's temper; and
- Improving one's job skills.
TBI can cause a wide range of functional changes affecting thinking, sensation, language, and/or emotions. It can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age.
For more information, contact the Brain Injury Association of America
Resources
Included within this list are pages that contain additional information about brain injuries and Oklahoma. Use the BI resources to gain insight, expand your knowledge, and share experiences with other survivors. Oklahoma On The Web provides a variety of state information ranging from cafés to universities. Use the government pages as an easy reference to government representatives, let's use this to keep them informed about brain injuries and the needs of survivors!
The Brain Injury Association of Oklahoma does not support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or program for brain injured persons. We only try to inform you, believing you have the right to know what is available. No endorsement is intended or implied.
- Brain Injury Support Resources
- Additional Resources Related to Brain Injuries, Safety and Prevention
- Government Internet Resources
- Oklahoma Internet Resources
Brain Injury Support Resources
- BIA USA
- The ABI/TBI Information Project
- The Perspectives Network (TPN) Resources
- BIA-CTs Links To Other ABI/TBI Sites
- Internet Help While Someone is in a Coma
- The International Brain Injury Association
- The Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists
The TBI Chat Room has daily meeting at 7:30pm EST and 9pm EST. It's for Caregivers, Survivors and friends. Java Browser access at http://www.webbernet.net/~sagasha
mIRC and Netscape Chat access settings 206.137.186.226 port 6667
Return to Resource Categories
Additional Resources Related to Brain Injuries, Safety and Prevention
The Brain Injury Association of Oklahoma does not support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or program for brain injured persons. We only try to inform you, believing you have the right to know what is available. No endorsement is intended or implied.
- Brain Injury Resource Center
- NeuroTrauma Law Center
- Brain Injury Information Page from the Brain Injury Law Office
- The Integrated Network of Disability Information and Education
- Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
- National Safety Council
- TBI State Demonstration Grant Program
- National Organization on Disability (NOD) and Voter's Rights
- BIA's Public Awareness Harris Poll Results
- Traumatic Brain Injury Care System's TBI Information and Resources
- Tamara Greenspan Head Injury Collection Bibliography of Resources at the The Nassau Library System
- Traumatic Brain Injury Survival Guide
- The Central Pain Syndrome
- Head Cases, a book by Michael Mason
Return to Resource Categories
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Americans with Disabilities Act Document Center
- Job Accommodation Network (JAN) for Workers with Brain Injuries
- Oklahoma Disability Resource Guide
Return to Resource Categories
- Injury Update - Occupational Traumatic Brain Injuries, Oklahoma, 1992-1995
- Oklahoma On The Web
- Oklahoma State Government Information Server
- Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation
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Copyright 2008 Brain Injury Association of Oklahoma. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer: The Brain Injury Association of Oklahoma does not support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or program for brain injury. We only try to inform you, believing you have the right to know what is available. No endorsement is intended or implied..