What are some common brain injuries?

A concussion is the most common type of TBI. A concussion results when the brain is traumatized a result of sudden movement or an impact, typically happening as a result of a blow to the head or violent shaking of the head. It can take years for a concussion to fully heal.

In addition to a concussion, other types of traumatic brain injuries include:

• Contusion – bleeding on the brain that results from a direct impact to the head
• Coup-contrecoup – which occurs when the head is hit with such force that there is a contusion at the site of impact and on the direct opposite side of the brain (caused by the brain slamming into the skull wall)
• Diffuse axonal – caused by shaking of the head, such as is the case in shaken baby syndrome
• Penetration injury – which is the result of the brain being penetrated by an object
• Anoxia – which occurs when the brain does not receive any oxygen
• Hypoxic – which occurs when the brain does not receive enough oxygen