What is a traumatic brain injury (TBI)?
A TBI is an injury to the brain caused by something outside the body. It is different from a stroke, which is caused by something inside the body: weak blood vessels, blood clots, etc. There are many things that can cause a TBI. Some of them are: a car crash; a hit to the head with a bat, bottle, or other object; hitting the head during a fall; or a gunshot wound to the head. There are two types of TBI: • Closed head injuries happen when the brain is damaged without opening the skull. Damage to the brain is caused by bruising and bleeding within the brain, tearing and stretching of nerve cells, swelling of the brain, and the building up of extra fluid. • Penetrating (open) head injuries happen when a sharp object goes through the skull and enters the brain tissue. Examples of objects that can cause a penetrating brain injury are a bullet, a sword, and a knife. In these cases, the most damage occurs to the part of the brain that the object goes through. But damage to other parts of the
