What causes traumatic brain and spinal cord injury?
Well over a million Americans sustain traumatic brain injury each year and of these 50,000 die from their injuries. The most common causes are falls and automobile accidents. In light of the increasing life expectancy, traumatic brain injury is also a substantial public health problem among seniors, primarily due to falls. Spinal cord injury occurs in nearly 15,000 individuals per year in the US, leaving about 10,000 permanently paralyzed. Most spinal cord trauma occurs in young, healthy individuals between the ages of 15 and 35 years old resulting in a major life long disability burden. How are brain and spinal cord injuries treated? Treatment in each of these conditions consists of acute interventions to reduce the extent of permanent damage and longer term treatments aimed at rehabilitation and recovery. Clot busting drugs in the case of stroke, surgery and treatments to reduce brain swelling and inflammation are all potentially effective approaches to acute management of these cond
