What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventation (CDC), Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem in the United States.  A TBI is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of a TBI may range from “mild,” i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to “severe,” i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury.

Types of Severe Tramautic Brain Injury (TBI)

Closed – an injury to the brain caused by movement of the brain within the skull. Causes may include falls, motor vehicle crash, or being struck by or with an object.

Penetrating – an injury to the brain caused by a foreign object entering the skull. Causes may include firearm injuries or being struck with a sharp object.

Meeting the Challenge of Severe TBI with Glutathion Therapies

While there is no one size fits all solution, there are interventions that can be effective to help limit the impact of this injury. These measures include early management and treatment of severe TBI. One treatment that is very helpful for those suffering from a TBI, is glutathione therapies. Not all glutathione supplementation is the same.

Potential Affects of Severe TBI

A non-fatal severe TBI may result in an extended period of unconsciousness (coma) or amnesia after the injury. For individuals hospitalized after a TBI, almost half (43%) have a related disability one year after the injury. A TBI may lead to a wide range of short- or long-term issues affecting:

• Cognitive Function (e.g., attention and  memory)
• Motor Function (e.g., extremity weakness, impaired coordination and balance)
• Sensation (e.g., hearing, vision, impaired perception and touch)
• Emotion (e.g., depression, anxiety, aggression, impulse control, personality changes)

Approximately 5.3 million Americans are living with a TBI-related disability and the consequences of severe TBI can affect all aspects of an individual’s life.10 This can include relationships with family and friends, as well as their ability to work or be employed, do household tasks, drive, and/or participate in other activities of daily living.

Epidemiology of Stroke
Stroke, a reduction in blood flow to the brain, is caused by blockage in a cerebral artery by a clot or embolus (ischemic stroke) or rupture of the blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). Both forms of stroke result in damage or death of neurons in the affected brain
region, leading to loss of brain function. Stroke is a major problem in North America, and indeed the world, given the mortality and morbidity associated with cerebrovascular disease. There are over 40,000 new or recurrent strokes in Canada annually [8] and 700,000 in the US [9]. Estimates of worldwide stroke prevalence (number of individuals with the disease) range from 1.7 to 20 per 1000 individuals [10]. Thus, stroke accounts for 9.6% of all deaths in the world [9-11], making it the fourth leading cause of death internationally [12], and the third highest cause of death in the US [9]. Increasing age is a major risk factor for stroke. The prevalence of silent cerebral infarction (a brain lesion that is assumed to be a result of cerebral ischemia, found incidentally in otherwise healthy individuals) is 11% for the age group 55-64, and increases to 43% of individuals older than 85 [9]. Older patients have less chance of surviving a stroke: 37% of patients 45-64 will die after a hemorrhagic stroke, whereas that number rises to 44% of patients over 65 years of age [9]. Half of all ischemic stroke patients who survive will have moderate to severe impairments, making a major impact of stroke the disabilities arising from brain damage. Stroke is a major cause of disabilities [8, 9, 12]; the severely disabled require long-term care, which has high costs ($2.7 billion a year to the Canadian economy [8]; $62.7 billion in the American economy [9]).