Child Traumatic Brain Injury

Brain Trauma

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is recognized as the “Silent Epidemic” since the actual number of TBIs that occur in the United States (U.S.) is unknown, and individual instances are frequently unidentified. Brain injury causes a disorder of adaptation, i.e., the capacity to integrate one’s needs and ability to perform effectively with the environment. Accidents causing brain trauma are caused by physical forces (i.e., impact and acceleration/deceleration caused by falls, vehicular accidents, falling objects, assault, sports injuries, child abuse, neurotoxins, electricity, and loss of oxygen or increased levels of carbon monoxide). Mechanical forces create brain movement and pressure waves that stretch fibers, impact of the brain with the inside of the skull creating contusions (bruising of the surface of the brain), skull fractures that indent the brain, and other microscopic neural effects such as tearing nerve fibers, cellular trauma caused by damage to membranes and the...