The Brain Injury Association of American defines Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as "any alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force". The severity of such an injury may range from "mild" (mTBI) concussions, to severe injuries involving paralysis, locked-in syndrome, a vegetative state, and death. Even the most "mild" concussion can result in long-term effects, and signs and symptoms may not appear for days or weeks.

Largely unknown, yet staggering facts about Brain Injury;

- The Center for Disease Control has labeled Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) a "Silent Epidemic" in large part because up to 2/3 of the American Public are not even aware of the term. TBI is also termed an "Invisible Wound" because many survivors appear "fine, and normal", but have difficulty performing everyday tasks. Survivors of TBI are sometimes referred to as "the walking wounded".

-Brain Injury is the LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AND DISABILITY for American youth under age 25, and is projected to be the Number One Health Problem in the World by 2020.

-A new Traumatic Brain Injury occurs every 21 seconds in the United States and a Brain Injury-Related Death occurs every 10 minutes. Brain Injury is a contributing factor in 30% of all injury-related deaths in the United States.

-Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) include falls, motor vehicle accidents, sport- and recreation-related injuries, battlefield wounds, child abuse and shaken baby syndrome, gunshot wounds, amongst others.

-A concussion IS a Brain Injury. Experiencing a second concussion before the first one has healed can result in Second Impact Syndrome, death & permanent disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control, as many as 3.8 million sports- and recreation-related brain injuries occur annually in the U.S. and every year, U.S emergency rooms treat an estimated 135,000 sports- and recreation-related TBI's among children 5 to 18.

-The American Association of Neurological Surgeons states that athletes who suffered a concussion were four to six times more likely to suffer a second concussion. Second impact syndrome can occur when a person sustains a second concussion before the first injury has healed. Second Impact Syndrome generally results in life-long disabilities or death.

-The CDC also reports that repeated mild concussions can result in cumulative deficits. Post-concussion syndrome is a set of long-term physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral symptoms that one may experience after the initial injury, including difficulties with concentration, memory, judgment, depression and anxiety.

-Studies further indicate that multiple concussions potentially could result in life-long disabilities such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Alzheimer's, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), dementia, and depression. Medical professionals are largely unable to determine the severity or the long-term prognoses of concussion; this applies especially to secondary injuries.

- The Department of Defense estimates that 20% of all returning Military Veterans will return from Iraq & Afghanistan with a TBI...roughly 360,000 Vets to date.

-Causes of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) are stroke, brain tumors, substance abuse, poisoning, infection, lack of oxygen (near drowning for instance), and others.

-1.7 million people sustain a TBI annually, and additional 800,000 experience an ABI every year. 5.3 million people are living with Brain Injury in the United States and have a long-term or life-long need for help to perform their activities of daily living (ADL's) such as brushing their teeth, feeding themselves, getting dressed, etc. as a result.

-The annual number of new cases of TBI is 34 times greater than the number of new cases of HIV/AIDS, and yet Federal Research spending is $3 Billion for HIV/Aids, and only $100 Million for TBI.

- Research into the control and treatment of TBI receives less than one penny of every dollar spent on medical research. Public spending on HIV/AIDS is $18,111 per person, spending on Breast Cancer is $295 per person, spending on TBI is $2.55 per person, leading to a severe shortage of follow-up services, rehabilitative therapies, and recovery.

- Young people age 0 to 19 are the most likely demographic to suffer a Traumatic Brain Injury. Males are 1.5 times as likely as females to sustain a TBI.

- Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) estimates the number of Americans with TBI at 5.3 million, recent research suggests that about 7-8 percent of the population have some form of TBI. If one accepts this research, the number of people living with TBI hovers around 21 million people in the U.S. (Mount Sinai Medical Center).