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What
is Brain Injury? |
| Each year over 1.5 million people in America sustain a traumatic brain injury annually including nearly 5,000 individuals in New Hampshire. Brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability of children and young adults. 50,000 people will die annually because of traumatic brain injury and 80,000 people annually experience the onset of life-long disabilities following brain injury. There are currently 5.3 million Americans living with a disability because of traumatic brain injury. |
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| * In a recent study done in New Hampshire more children, teens and young adults are killed or permanently disabled by brain injuries than any other leading cause. Statistics show nearly 2500 children and young adults under the age of 25 were hospitalized with brain injuries, while 43 died; more than the number hospitalized for cancer, AIDS, heart disease, and drug or alcohol abuse. Findings also indicate that more than 1500 adults were hospitalized while 128 died. |
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| Causes of brain injury include motor vehicle crashes, sports injuries, falls, violence, strokes, brain tumors, anoxia (loss of oxygen) during surgery or near drowning, encephalitis, meningitis, poisoning and seizure disorder. |
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| Every brain injury is unique and the extent of the brain injury can vary from "mild" to "severe." People who experience a "mild" brain injury often appear fine, yet may have some lingering effects that impact their ability to resume their normal life activities at home, school or work. They may exhibit difficulties with concentration, organization, managing multiple tasks, memory, relationships with family, business associates and friends, and/or personality changes. |
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| People whose injuries are considered moderate or severe exhibit varying degrees of difficulty in cognitive (thinking), emotional, behavioral, physical and social areas. They suffer permanent disabilities, which affect their ability to return to a pre-injury lifestyle. |
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| Not all outcomes of brain injury are immediately obvious, which is why brain injury has been called the "Silent Epidemic." In children and teenagers, some impairments do not become obvious until future growth and maturity require more complex skills and reasoning abilities that may have been affected by the brain injury. |
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| One of the best defenses after an injury occurs is to arm oneself with the best information and resources available for timely treatment, rehabilitation and support. This directory lists resources, which are available to New Hampshire families and survivors. |
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| *The intention of The Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire Brain Injury
Resource Directory is to provide information and resources available within the state of
New Hampshire. We try to maintain only current and accurate information but disclaim
any implied warranty or representation about its accuracy or completeness. It is at the
discretion of the user to make decisions about appropriateness of services. The Brain
Injury Association of New Hampshire neither endorses nor implies a recommendation
and is not liable or responsible for any claim, loss or damage resulting from its use of the
agencies or services listed in this directory.
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Definitions |
| Brain Injury: A more descriptive term than "head injury". Damage to the brain that results in impairments in physical, cognitive, speech/language and behavioral functioning. The damage may be caused by an external physical force, insufficient blood supply, toxic substance, malignancy, disease-producing organisms, congenital disorders, birth trauma or degenerative processes. |
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Traumatic Brain Injury: Damage to living brain tissue by an external mechanical forces or motion. It is usually characterized by a period of altered consciousness (amnesia or coma) that can be very brief (minutes) or very long (months/indefinitely). The term does not include brain injuries that are caused by insufficient blood supply, toxic substances, malignancy, disease-producing organisms, congenital disorders, birth trauma or degenerative processes.
- Closed Brain Injury: Occurs when the head accelerates and then rapidly decelerates or collides with another object (for example, the windshield of a car) and brain tissue is damaged, not by the presence of a foreign object within the brain, but by the violent smashing, shaking, stretching and twisting of brain tissue. The nerve endings connecting the skull to the brain are often torn or become completely separated from the brain. Closed brain injuries typically cause diffuse tissue damage that result in disabilities, which are generalized and highly variable.
- Open (Penetrating) Brain Injury: Occurs when an object (e.g. bullet, knife) fractures the skull, enters the brain and injures the brain tissue in the process. These injuries tend to damage localized areas of the brain and result in discrete and relatively predictable disabilities.
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| Acquired Brain Injury (ABI): The implication of this term is that the individual experienced normal growth and development from conception through birth until sustaining an insult to the brain later that resulted in impairment of brain function. ABI is caused by the shearing of brain nerve fiber due to trauma or by cell death related to swelling, bleeding, disease or loss of oxygen to the brain (anoxia). Whether mild, moderate or severe, acquired brain injury can cause physical, cognitive, speech/language and behavioral dysfunction. |
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Common causes are:
- Traumatic Brain Injury: motor vehicle crashes, assaults, falls, sports/recreational injuries, pedestrian injuries and bicycle/motorcycle crashes.
- Disease: benign and malignant tumors, encephalitis, meningitis.
- Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA or Stroke): atherosclerosis, arteriovenous malformation, aneurysm.
- Anoxic Event: near drowning, electrical shock, drug overdose, kidney/heart failure, industrial/chemical exposure, injury subsequent to TBI/CVA.
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| Acquired Brain Disorder (ABD): Acquired brain disorder is a broader category, which includes neurological disorders as well as acquired brain injury. They may each result in trauma or disruption to the brain and nervous system from a variety of sources. |
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| The brain is the control board for all functions of the body. It is comprised of the cortex, which controls most thinking functions, the cerebellum, which coordinates movement, and the brain stem, which controls consciousness, alertness and basic functions such as breathing, respiration and pulse. The brain function can be disrupted in a number of ways: injuries, toxins, illness and unrelated medical conditions. These disorders to the brain and nervous system include, in addition to acquired brain injuries, neurological brain disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Huntington's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and other rare neurological disorders. |
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What are Some Long Term Consequences? |
Common long-term consequences of brain injury may include:
- Memory loss
- Fatigue
- Problems in arousal, attention, and concentration
- Problems with judgment
- Difficulty with speech or language comprehension
- Decreased motor abilities
- Visual impairments
- Sensory loss or impairment
- Anxiety and depression
- Inappropriate behavior
- Sexual dysfunction
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| Persons who survive brain injuries often find that things will never be the same. Many rehabilitation and treatment programs can help persons with brain injury rebuild their lives and achieve greater independence. With the help of family, friends and professionals, many survivors of brain injury in New Hampshire have increased their quality of life by utilizing strategies and support systems to compensate for the difficulties presented by the injury. |
