Approximately 5.3 million Americans (that’s almost 2% of the US population) currently have a long-term or lifelong need for help as a result of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Almost 1.4 million Americans sustain a TBI each year. By the numbers, each person has a 1:300 chance of experiencing a TBI. In addition, it is estimated that 1 million children will experience a concussion each year with 30,000 of these children incurring long-term disabilities as a result. The estimated lifetime costs of brain injury (including direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity) totaled $60 billion in 2000 and has been on the rise ever since.
Often we tend to associate traumatic brain injury with vehicle accidents, military situations and other personal accidents. However, recent research indicates that the personal toll caused by concussions can be just as bad and sometimes worse. Although concussions were previously thought to be trivial brain injuries we now know (thanks to research discoveries by Laurence Kleiner, MD, a pediatric neurosurgeon at The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton and others) that even the most minor concussion can produce serious negative effects on a person’s concentration, memory, reaction time and emotions.
Brain injury effects the very root of who we are as individuals – our ability to think, to communicate, and to connect with others. The good news is that through effective Traumatic Brain Injury rehabilitation methods, approximately 85% of TBI victims’ problems will eventually resolve themselves. Brain injury research is critical to how we:
- apply clinical treatments
- educate students and ourselves
- screen military personnel before being deployed into combat zones
- engage in sports and generally
- maintain a healthy lifestyle
Brain research and all it’s enlightening findings affect universities, hospitals, patient groups, government agencies, schools, service organizations, professional associations, and the population in general. Public awareness helps to ensure this research gets funded. There are a number of online events and offline activities going on this month. Below are just a few of the many resources available:
- Brain Injury Association’s 2010
- Brain Awareness Week – March 15-21, 2010. Founded and coordinated by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and European Dana Alliance for the Brain, BAW is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary campaign in 2010 . It is is a global campaign to increase public awareness about the progress and benefits of brain research. Click here to find events in your area here.
- BrainLine.org – a resources for preventing, treating and living with TBI.
3 Comments
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Just was knocked off my bike by an autmobile. Hit head on pavement & was unconscious for an hour. Now have blurred vision that clears when I blink. Could my concussion be the cause?
After any brain injury, a number of symptoms can be prevalent. Post concussion syndrome may show a symptom complex that includes headache, dizziness, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and cognitive impairment. Blurred vision hasn’t been medically documented as a typical symptom. Whatever the cause of your blurred vision, is recommend that you review this with your doctor, as only he/she can conduct an appropriate assessment of your unique situation and make a diagnosis.