THE Challenge! – Groups at Risk for Brain Injury

The Winter edition of THE Challenge! focuses on groups at risk for brain injury.

From My Desk

We know that brain injuries can happen to anyone, at any time. They don’t discriminate. But the fact of the matter is, there are certain populations that are at a greater risk of brain injury – and of poorer long-term outcomes. This issue of THE Challenge! examines many of these groups, including military service members and veterans, people living in rural areas of the country, and racial and ethnic minorities. Click here to read more.

BIAA News

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has participated in several exciting activities over the past few months. Click here to see what we’ve been up to.

Race, Ethnicity, and Traumatic Brain Injury in America

Every year in the United States, millions of people experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI). But not everyone is affected in the same way. A new systematic review published in Injury Prevention shows that race and ethnicity play a large role in who gets injured, who survives, and how often these injuries occur. Click here to learn more.

Far From Care: Brain Injury in Rural America

When someone sustains a brain injury, they need to access care as quickly as possible to give them the best chance of recovery. But, according to 2020 census data, as many as 30 million Americans do not have access to a Level I or Level II trauma center within an hour of where they live. Click here to learn more about brain injury in rural populations.

Study Finds Traumatic Brain Injuries Linked to Faster Aging in Post-9/11 Veterans

Post-9/11 veterans who sustained one or more traumatic brain injuries show faster biological aging compared to veterans without a TBI, according to research published earlier this year in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. In more than 1,000 veterans studied, deployment-related TBIs had stronger links to accelerated aging than injuries outside military service, particularly among women. More recent injuries also showed stronger associations with aging than injuries prior to military service. Click here to learn more.

Integrating Brain Injury-Informed Practices into the Child Welfare System

Brain injuries are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, creating challenges for child welfare providers, as well as families. Brain injury can bring with it cognitive challenges for parents within the system, including difficulty remembering information and appointments, slowed information processing speed, and increased impulsivity. Brain injuries can also lower a parent’s frustration tolerance, making parenting more difficult. Click here to read more.

Concussion Awareness Now Corner

If you ask most people whether a concussion is a brain injury, the answer you’ll hear might surprise you. According to a recent poll from the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), 81 percent of adults don’t realize that a concussion is, in fact, a traumatic brain injury (TBI). That statistic set the stage for Concussion Awareness Now’s webinar, Is Concussion a Brain Injury? Click here to learn more.

Broken Girl: A Memoir of Life Before and After Traumatic Brain Injury

Caroline Laner Breure was on vacation in Spain when she was struck by a police vehicle. She sustained a Grade 3 diffuse axonal injury – her brain was almost torn in half, and she had a GCS score of 5. Her doctors gave her a 5 percent chance of survival and no chance of being able to see, hear, speak, taste, or use her arms or legs. Not only did Caroline defy that prognosis, but she also went on to share her story in a powerful way. Click here to read more.

State Affiliate News

See what the Brain Injury Association of America’s Affiliates have been up to. Click here to read more.

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