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Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury

Overview

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury to the brain caused by the head being hit by something or shaken violently. This kind of injury can alter someone’s ability to function as before and can also affect personality and mood. The term TBI is used for head injuries that can cause changes in one or more areas, such as 1

  • thinking and reasoning,
  • understanding words,
  • remembering things,
  • paying attention,
  • solving problems,
  • thinking abstractly,
  • talking,
  • behaving,
  • walking and other physical activities,
  • seeing and/or hearing, and
  • learning.

Stats

It has been estimated that 5.3 million Americans are living with some residual consequence of a traumatic brain injury. 2 According to that same study, about 40% of people hospitalized with a TBI had at least one unmet need for services one year after their injury- ranging from improving memory to improving job skills. 

In addition, for women with disabilities who experience violence, studies have estimated that blows to the head or face, delivered by an abuser or perpetrator, occur in 50% to 90% of assaults. 3 The majority of these assaults often result in some degree of brain injury, whether temporary or permanent.

Impact

TBI impacts neurological, cognitive, behavioral, and social abilities. Difficulty with memory is a hallmark of brain injury. When memory does not function well, a number of other brain functions are affected; a survivor may experience difficulty with problem-solving, abstract reasoning, insight, judgment, planning, information processing, and organization.

More specifically, people who have TBI may experience significant changes in their normal behavior. TBI can cause a loss of usually-in-place protective inhibitions or social norms. People with TBI may have a personality shift and be more irritable and temperamental, or may react to conflict or stimuli in ways that are out of character. Additionally, some people with TBI tend to talk excessively or tangentially. While they can often finally make the point, there is a disconnect in how the information is understood.

While intense changes in memory, personality, or cognitive ability can more obviously signal TBI, some survivors also experience mild headaches, trouble sleeping or have a vague idea that they are performing or acting differently. It is important for providers working with victims/survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault to understand the varying implications of TBI on a victim/survivor’s cognitive abilities; it can help a provider better direct services and support.

1National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. ”Fact Sheet on Traumatic Brain Injury.“ May 2006.

2Thurman D, Alverson C, Dunn K, Guerrero J, Sniezek J. ”Traumatic brain injury in the United States: a public health perspective.“ Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. 1999;14(6):602-15.

3Jackson, H., Philip, E., Nutter, R., and Diller, L. (2002). ”Traumatic Brain Injury: A Hidden Consequence for Battered Women.“ Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33(1), p. 39-45.