Paralysis Resource Guide - (Page 10) CONDITIONS BRAIN INJURY The brain is the control center for all of the body’s functions, including conscious activities (walking, talking) and unconscious ones (e.g., breathing, digestion). The brain also controls thought, comprehension, speech and emotion. Injury to the brain, whether the result of severe trauma to the skull or a closed injury in which there is no fracture or penetration, can disrupt some or all of these functions. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results mainly from motor vehicle accidents, falls, acts of violence and sports injuries. It is more than twice as likely in males than in females. The estimated incidence rate is 100 out of 100,000 persons. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 5.3 million Americans are living with disabilities from brain trauma, added to more than 50,000 deaths per year. The highest incidence is among persons 15 to 24 years of age and 75 years and older. Alcohol is associated with half of all brain injuries, either in the person causing the injury or in the injured person. Brain injury can have serious and lifelong effects on physical and mental functioning, including loss of consciousness, altered memory and/or personality, and partial or complete paralysis. Common behavioral problems include verbal and physical aggression, agitation, learning difficulties, poor self-awareness, altered sexual functioning, impulsivity and social disinhibition. Mood disorders, personality changes, altered emotional control, depression and anxiety are also prevalent after TBI. Social consequences of mild, moderate and severe TBI are numerous, including higher risk of suicide, divorce, chronic unemployment and substance abuse. The annual cost of acute care and rehabilitation in the United States for new cases of TBI is enormous: $9 to $10 billion. Estimates for average lifetime cost of care for a person with severe TBI range from $600,000 to $1,875,000. Enclosed within the bony framework of the skull, the brain is a gelatinous material that floats in cerebrospinal fluid, which acts as a shock absorber in rapid head movements. Injury to the brain can be caused by a fracture or penetration of the skull (vehicle accident, fall or gunshot wound), a disease 10
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