Traumatic brain injury, TBI, results from damage to brain tissue caused by an external force. Leading causes of TBI are motor vehicle accidents, acts of violence, falls, sports and recreational injuries, lightening strikes, electric strikes, and blows to the head. TBI can occur without any outward physical evidence of injury or trauma. Examples include, whiplash, and shaken babies. Also see Brain Injury Support Groups for links to information and resources.  Memory mood and fatigue are common complaints of brain injury patients. Intellectual dullness and mental rigidity are obvious signs of brain injury. Personality changes are common, and rapid mood swings alternate with waxing and waning energy levels. Taken individually, such impairments might not amount to much.   However, such impairments usually appear in groups or clusters. In many cases the impairments are widespread and disrupt many brain systems. The overall effect can be profoundly disabling. Acquired Brain Injury. Acquired brain injury, ABI, results from damage to the brain caused by strokes, tumors, hypoxia, toxins, degenerative diseases, near drowning and/or other conditions not necessarily caused by an external force. Go to Brain Injury Links for more information on acquired brain injury and related resources.    Head Injury. The terms head injury and traumatic brain injury are often used interchangeably. However, most people associate the term "head injury" with some type of external physical damage to the head. Many such head injuries are superficial, and amount to nothing more than a temporary, although bothersome, injury and associated discomfort.  The most severe types of head injury can cause extensive functional limitations such a paralysis, and severely limited mental functioning. A little further down the continuum of head injuries you will see moderate head injuries along with corresponding degrees of functional limitations mostly in the form of diminished mental skills. Then on the other end of the continuum you'll find what's called concussion, mild or minor head injuries. Like the moderate head injuries, mild head injury can cause impairments in mental functioning. The irony of mild head injuries is that often times, such injuries do not even require a hospital stay, yet they result in changes so profound that lives are forever changed. The term mild head injury belies the true nature of the of the resultant impairments.  Concussion. A concussion results from the brain being battered or violently shaken. Typically, it is followed by a alteration in consciousness. That is, the person is knocked out, loses consciousness, or remains conscious, but appears dazed, witless, disoriented. The term concussion is often used interchangeably with the terms: head injury, mild brain injury, dinged bell rung; although a blow to the head is not required for brain damage to occur. Also see Concussion FAQ Concussion Symptoms. Early symptoms of concussion include headache; dizziness or vertigo; lack of awareness of surroundings; and nausea and vomiting.  Late symptoms of concussion include: persistent low-grade headache, lightheadedness, poor attention and concentration, memory dysfunction, difficulty doing simple math, difficulty finding words, slowed reaction time, fatiguability, irritability and low frustration threshold, intolerance of bright lights, difficulty focusing vision, intolerance of loud noises, occasional ringing in the ears, anxiety, depression, mood swings, and sleep disturbances. Also see Concussion in Sports.

Severe Head Injury. Severe head injuries usually result from crushing blows or penetrating wounds to the head. Such injuries crush, rip and shear delicate brain tissue. This is the most life threatening, and the most intractable type of brain injury. Also see our Coma page. Typically, heroic measures are required in treatment of such injuries. Frequently, severe head trauma results in an open head injury, one in which the skull has been crushed or seriously fractured. Treatment of open head injuries usually require prolonged hospitalization and extensive rehabilitation. Typically, rehabilitation is incomplete and for most part there is no return to pre-injury status. Closed head injuries can also result in severe brain injury

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