Concussion: A Study of the Spectrum of Injury

Abstract

ABSTRACT Traumatic Brain Injury is a major cause of death and disability, with a worldwide incidence of approximately 10 million cases per year1. Every thirteen seconds someone in the United States sustains a traumatic brain injury (TBI).1 Anyone, in any age group, can sustain a traumatic brain injury at any time. Brain injury can change everything about a person in a split second; it can change the way a person thinks, acts, and feels.2 Concussion, a type of mild TBI, accounts for 80% of all traumatic brain injuries in the United States, with as many as 3.8 million injuries occurring yearly.3 Concussion has become an increasingly recognized public health concern and within the past 8 years there has been a dramatic shift in the medical management of concussion, specifically sports related concussion. Evidence suggests that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a result of repetitive concussions and this has recently generated increased public interest and knowledge of concussions.4 This thesis will provide an overview of TBI, including the history and definition of TBI, brain anatomy and function, and will focus on and analyze concussion across the spectrum of injury, including sports and military concussion. It concludes with a discussion of current topics in TBI and an interview with a physician specializing in the treatment of individuals with TBI.