Traumatic Brain Injury: What it does to people and their families
Traumatic Brain Injury What it does to people and their families Catherine W. Britell, M.D. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results from hitting the head directly (such as falling and hitting the ground or hitting the windshield in a car accident), a shockwave (such as an explosion occurring nearby where the pressure wave passing through the brain significantly disrupts brain function), or a penetrating object that destroys brain tissue (such as a bullet or piece of broken skull bone), The effects of TBI may be temporary pain and disability, permanent disability, or death. TBI can have wide-ranging physical and psychological effects. Some signs or symptoms may appear immediately after the traumatic event, while others may appear days or weeks later. With a mild traumatic brain injury (also called “concussion”), there can be: Loss of consciousnes...