BRAIN INJURY NEWS

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 9, 1999 CONTACT: Larry Hoffer or Mark Brown 703-236-6000 -- Guidelines for Concussion Evaluation Available -- ALEXANDRIA, VA – Statistics published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association highlighted an alarming trend among America's children who participate in amateur athletics. Three separate but related studies shed light on an all too common occurrence in high school and college athletics—the frightening number of concussions, or mild traumatic brain injuries, being sustained in sports such as football, soccer and wrestling. Even more alarming is that the studies found an increased likelihood of long-term neurological damage and learning disability among those athletes sustaining multiple concussions. Brain injury occurs every 15 seconds in the United States alone. Each year, brain injury sends one million individuals to the emergency room—and this is not counting the nearly one million concussions being sustained on athletic fields across the country. The "silent epidemic" of brain injury leads to 80,000 cases of long-term disability each year and claims more than 50,000 lives. There are currently 5.3 million Americans living with disability caused by brain injury. In response to this growing public health concern, the Brain Injury Association (BIA), a non-profit organization with 43 state associations nationwide, has published 3.5" x 7"-laminated "palmcards" containing the Guidelines for the Management of Concussion in Sports, which consists of criteria for the various grades of concussion, management recommendations and when a player should return to play following the injury. These guidelines, which can be used by coaches, trainers or parents, were developed with support from the American Academy of Neurology. "Children sustaining a concussion on the playing field should not be told to just 'shake it off'," said Gregory J. O'Shanick, MD, BIA's national medical director. "Everything possible needs to be done to ensure the safety of our children. These palmcards are easy to use and should be on every occasion where concussion is the possible outcome." For more information, please contact BIA at 703-236-6000. # # # Founded in 1980 by a small group of concerned parents and professionals, the Brain Injury Association's (BIA's) mission is to create a better future through brain injury prevention, research, education and advocacy. Special Report CDC Report Shows Prevalence of Brain Injury April 14, 1999 ATLANTA (CNN) – An estimated 5.3 million Americans, a little more than 2 percent of the U.S. population, currently live with disabilities from traumatic brain injuries, according a to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Each year, approximately 80,000 Americans experience the onset of disabilities resulting from brain injuries, the report says. The data released in the CDC study is considered the most complete picture of the impact of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the United States. The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, a division of the CDC and the Brain Injury Association, plans to use the data to assess the availability of proper medical, social and support services across the country. Other TBI statistics reported by the CDC indicated that each year, 1 million people are treated and released in hospital emergency rooms, and 50,000 people die. The three leading causes of TBI are motor vehicle crashes, violence – mostly from firearms – and falls, particularly among the elderly. The risk of TBI in men is twice the risk in women. The risk is higher in adolescents, young adults and people older than 75 years. The report was prepared for a meeting this week of 40 experts to discuss public health implications of TBIs. It was presented at a press conference sponsored by the Brain Injury Association of Georgia. According to the Brain Injury Association (BIA), a TBI takes place when an external physical force hits the brain, producing a diminished or altered state of consciousness. It results in impaired cognitive abilities or physical functioning, and sometimes disturbs behavioral or emotional functioning. TBI can affect a person cognitively, physically and emotionally. A person might experience memory loss, lack of concentration, slowed ability to process information, seizures, double vision or even loss of vision, headaches or migraines, loss of smell or taste, speech impairments, anxiety, impulsive behavior, depression and mood swings. BIA estimates hospital and fatal injury costs relating to TBI in the United States exceed $48 billion annually.  Additionally: Each year, 230,000 persons are hospitalized with TBI and survive 22% of persons with TBI die 2/3 of firearm-related TBIs are classified as suicidal in intent Falls are the leading cause of TBI for persons age 65 and older; transportation-related injuries lead among the 5-64 population 91% of firearm-related TBIs result in death 11% of fall-related TBIs proved fatal