Washington, D.C. has some of the highest rates of hospitalization and deaths caused by Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the U.S., according to the D.C. Department of Health. The District has the sixth highest fatality rate for TBI patients in the country.
More than 2.8 million Americans suffer from brain injuries every year, 30,000 among them being children whose normal growth and schooling are affected. TBI is primarily caused by falling, hits suffered from objects or car crashes, the last being the leading cause for TBI among teens in the U.S.
Severe neurological and psychiatric disorders can be long-term consequences stemming from TBI in children, according to a research published by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Out of 10 children who sustain a TBI, four can experience at least one symptom that continues five years after the injury takes place.
Researchers at the University of California recently found that head injuries can cause serious brain disorders. About 6,000 brain cells were examined in a study, where individual cell types subject to brain trauma were scanned for the first time.
It was discovered that 12 of 15 cell types were negatively impacted by head trauma in some way. The results of the study are expected to help researchers find more effective treatments for traumatic brain injuries.