What is a "traumatic brain injury"? 

A "traumatic brain injury" is the impairment of normal brain function due to a neurological insult that occurs in an open or closed head injury.

It is only one of the ways in which an otherwise normally functioning brain can become impaired. Some non-traumatic causes of brain impairment are a cerebral vascular lesion, a near drowning, a brain tumor, and encephalopathy.

What are the general symptoms of a brain injury?

The symptoms of a brain injury are extremely varied because of the multiple functions of the brain. Four general categories of symptoms are commonly recognized, however. They are cognitive, perceptual, physical and behavioral/emotional. Within each category there are many specific symptoms that may or may not be present.

Even a single symptom, if it seriously impacts your lifestyle, can create a significant lifetime impairment. For example, the inability to learn new or complicated material can be devastating.

What are the cognitive symptoms that can indicate a brain injury?

The cognitive functioning of the brain can be impaired in one or more of the following ways by a brain injury:

• Shortened attention span

• Memory loss

• Language deficits

• Inability to shift mental tasks

• Difficulty in processing information

• Inability to understand abstract concepts

What are the perceptual symptoms of a brain injury?

Some of the most common perceptual symptoms of a brain injury are the following:

• Changes in vision, hearing or sense of touch

• Loss of the sense of time and space

• Increased pain sensitivity

• Changes in smell or taste

• Loss of balance

What are the physical symptoms of a brain injury?

Among the physical symptoms of a brain injury are the following:

• Paralysis

• Sleep disorders

• Headaches

• Seizure activity

• Sensitivity to light

• Extreme mental or physical fatigue

• Gait disturbance

• Tremors

What are the behavioral/emotional symptoms of a brain injury?

The following symptoms in the behavioral/emotional category may indicate a brain injury:

• Apathy

• Irritability

• Flattened or heightened emotional responses

• Impatience

• Lack of inhibition

• Inflexibility