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What Is Brain Injury

The Krempels Center provides services to adults who have been affected by acquired brain injury (brain injuries sustained during one’s lifetime, excluding neurodegenerative disorders and brain injuries sustained at birth) including tumor, trauma and stroke. 

Definitions of these mechanisms of injury are as follows:

A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain.  Brain tumors can be malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous), and may or may not cause symptoms. There are over 120 different types of brain tumors, which make effective treatment complicated. Each year more than 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with brain tumors.

A 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.  The severity of such an injury may range from "mild," i.e. a brief change in mental status or consciousness, such as a concussion, 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. 1.4 million people sustain traumatic brain injuries each year in the United States. 

The leading causes of traumatic brain injury include falls (28%), motor vehicle accidents (20%), struck by/against events (19%) and assaults (11%).  Blasts are a leading cause for TBI in military personnel.  Children between the ages of 0-4 and teens between 15 and 19 years old are at the highest risk of sustaining TBI’s.

Americans paid approximately $60 billion in 2000 for medical and disability-related costs related to traumatic brain injury.

A stroke, or cerebrovascular accident (CVA), occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is disrupted, causing brain cells to die. Strokes may be caused by a blockage of an artery (ischemic stroke) or the rupture of an artery (hemorrhagic stroke). 

About 795,000 Americans each year incur a new or recurrent stroke. On average, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds in the U.S.

Stroke kills more than 137,000 people a year, and accounts for about 1 of every 18 deaths in the U.S.  Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in the U.S.  Someone dies of a stroke, on average, every 4 minutes in the U.S.

Americans will pay about $73.7 billion in 2010 for stroke-related medical costs and disability.

Effects of brain injury Acquired brain injury survivors often live with long-term challenges.  Each brain injury and brain injury survivor is unique, and will present with differing symptoms depending on which part of the brain has been affected and the severity of the brain injury.  Often a person’s ability to care for oneself, work in competitive employment, and participate fully in one’s community is affected due to long-term deficits.  Survivors and their families also may experience dramatic changes in their personal relationships and roles.  Survivors may experience deficits in the following areas:

Physical – May include paralysis or weakness (often on one side of the body only), reduced joint mobility, changes in muscle tone, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), decreased sensation, poor balance, difficulty with mobility such as walking and getting out of bed, physical fatigue, seizures and other physical deficits.

Cognitive – May include difficulty with thought processes such as impaired memory, difficulty problem-solving, impaired attention, impulsivity, delayed processing skills, mental fatigue and more.

Communication – Some brain injury survivors experience difficulties with communication.  These problems may be related to aphasia, a communication disorder that impairs the ability to speak and/or understand others and may also affect one’s ability to read and write.  Dysarthria (muscle weakness in the orofacial muscles) may also affect one’s ability to speak clearly.

Visual-Perceptual – May include double vision, visual field cuts, one-sided neglect, impaired senses (hearing, taste, smell, touch etc.) etc.

Emotional and Social – May include low self-esteem/confidence, depression, social isolation, difficulty controlling emotions (lability), anxiety, difficulty with social interactions and relationships, loss of independence etc.

Prevention of Acquired Brain Injuries   While there are many elements out of our control, there are many lifestyle decisions you can make to decrease the changes of sustaining a brain injury:

  • Drive safely and defensively
    • Always wear your seatbelt and drive within the speed limit
    • Avoid using a cell phone or text messaging while driving
    • Do not drive while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs
    • Do not ride as a passenger if the driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs or is an unsafe driver
  • Wear recommended safety equipment during sports and on the job
    • If you sustain a concussion, see and doctor and follow guidelines regarding return to activities
  • Be a safe pedestrian
    • Use sidewalks and crosswalks when available; heed crossing lights
    • Wear reflective clothing at night
    • Do not text or talk on a cell phone when walking near street traffic
    • Walk facing, not with, on-coming traffic
  • Avoid illegal drugs, excessive use of alcohol and underage drinking
    • Use prescription drugs only according to MD instructions
  • Solve conflicts in a non-violent way
  • Know your family history 
    • Some types of brain injury are preventable.
    • If you have a family history of heart problems, lifestyle changes can have a dramatic effect.
  • Eat a well-balance diet and engage in activities that challenge your brain

Please refer to the Resources section of the website for links to more information about brain injury.