What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

TBI is the abbreviation for Traumatic Brain Injury.

“A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be caused by a forceful bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body, or from an object that pierces the skull and enters the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI.

There are two main types of traumatic brain injuries: Open head and closed head TBIs.

Open-head traumatic brain injuries (TBI), happen when an object penetrates the skull. Some examples of objects that can cause open head TBIs can include bullets, debris, bone fragments, or weapons like hammers or knives. This type of traumatic brain injury commonly affects only a specific region of the brain.

Closed head traumatic brain injuries are caused by an external force that is strong enough to move the brain within the skull. Some examples resulting in closed head TBIs include falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, blast injuries, or hit an object.

In certain incidents like explosions, natural disasters, or other extreme events, individuals can sustain both open and closed traumatic brain injuries (TBI) simultaneously.

Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke