Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be mild to severe, resulting in a range of deficits from mild and temporary to disabling and permanent impairment. TBI can occur in the setting of motor vehicle accidents, falls, violence, and sports. Moderate to severe injuries result in widespread, diffuse damage to the brain because the brain “ricochets” within the skull; there is commonly diffuse axonal injury and multifocal damage. The brain stem, frontal lobe, and temporal lobe are particularly vulnerable to this because of their location near bony protrusions.