What is a Brain Injury?

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Definitions and Descriptions

Acquired Brain Injury

Any injury to the brain that occurs after birth (excludes hereditary, congenital, degenerative or birth trauma injuries). It includes both traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries.

Non-Traumatic Brain Injury

An injury to the brain that is caused by internal incident (stroke, anoxic injury [lack of oxygen], brain tumor, brain infections such as meningitis, etc.).

Traumatic Brain Injury

An injury to the brain due to an external bump, blow, or jolt to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain. This may be an open head injury where the head is penetrated (skull fracture, gunshot wound, etc.) or a closed head injury that causes the brain to move within the skull (whiplash, concussion, shaken baby syndrome, etc.).

WATCH: What is a Brain Injury ( 3 minute video)

Additional Information

Types of traumatic brain injuries (English, Spanish)
Areas of the brain & associated functions (English, Spanish)

Myths and Facts About Brain Injuries

By Topic:

All brain injuries are the same.

The brain injury can’t be that serious if the child only had a short stay in the hospital.

A mild brain injury (concussion) is mild and less damaging than other brain injuries.

A severe brain injury means that the child will be permanently and totally disabled.

Myth

All brain injuries are the same.

Fact

Each brain injury is different.

A brain injury is not like any other injury or disease. The brain is very complex. Recovery from a brain injury depends on many factors including which areas of the brain are injured, the severity of the injury, and the person’s pre-injury characteristics and functioning.

Myth

The brain injury can’t be that serious if the child only had a short stay in the hospital.

Fact

More children with disabilities go home upon discharge than into in-patient rehabilitation programs.

There are many reasons why a child might be released quickly from the hospital while still experiencing the effects of brain injury. The lighter size and weight of children makes it possible for many families to care for them at home. Rehabilitation programs are not as available for children as for adults. The quicker physical recovery of many children makes it more difficult for them to qualify for in-patient rehabilitation programs and get approval by insurers. It is in school that the long-term rehabilitation needs of the child for behavior and learning will be greatest.

Myth

A mild brain injury (concussion) is mild and less damaging than other brain injuries.

Fact

Although about 90% of people who have concussions recover, this is not the case for everyone.

For some people, concussion, whiplash and other “mild” brain injuries can have long lasting, debilitating effects that require intervention. When symptoms last for weeks or months after injury, the child may be diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. Post-concussion syndrome is believed to occur most commonly in patients with a history of multiple concussions.

Myth

A severe brain injury means that the child will be permanently and totally disabled.

Fact

Patterns of recovery vary.

A brain injury is considered severe when coma lasts more than 24 hours. Recovery is affected greatly by the extent and location of damage to the brain. It is estimated that 80% of children with severe brain injuries will have some type of difficulty with thinking, communication, physical abilities, social skills, emotional adjustments, or behavior. Special help may be needed at home or in school. The long-term consequences are different for each child.

Concussion

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a concussion as:

"A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury- or TBI- caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, stretching and damaging the brain cells and creating chemical changes in the brain."

It is important to recognize that concussions can be sustained through a variety of means including: motor vehicle crashes, falls, bicycle accidents, recreational mishaps, etc. A child/adolescent does not need to experience loss of consciousness to sustain a concussion. The signs and symptoms of a concussion can be found in the CDC chart below.

Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion

Signs Observed by Parents or Guardians:

Appears dazed or stunned
Is confused about events
Answers questions slowly
Repeats questions
Can’t recall events prior to hit, bump, or fall
Can’t recall events after hit, bump, or fall
Loses consciousness (even briefly)
Shows behavior or personality changes
Forgets class schedule or assignments

Symptoms Reported by Your Child or Teen

Thinking/Remembering

Difficulty thinking clearly
Difficulty concentrating or remembering
Feeling more slowed down
Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy

Physical

Headache or “pressure” in head
Nausea or vomiting
Balance problems or dizziness
Fatigue or feeling tired
Blurry or double vision
Sensitivity to light or noise
Numbness or tingling
Does not “feel right”

Emotional

Irritable
Sad
More emotional than usual
Nervous

Sleep*

Drowsy
Sleeps less than usual
Sleeps more than usual

*Only ask about sleep symptoms if the injury occurred on a prior day.

Your student’s school has a team to help manage your child while they are at school following a concussion. It is important for your student to return to school as soon as they can even with tolerable symptoms to help avoid feeling of isolation, depression and anxiety. Your child does NOT need medical clearance to return back to school.