ABSTRACT
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the leading cause of mortality and disability among the young population in the developed countries, and its worldwide prevalence is sharply increasing (Feigin et al., 2010; Ghajar, 2000; Maas et al., 2008). TBI affects all ages with highest incidence rates among children, young adults and the elderly (Faul et al., 2010; Hemphill III et al., 2012; Koepsell et al., 2011). TBI is associated with increased incidence of disability and premature death along with heightened medical and socioeconomic burden on individuals, families and societies (Leibson et al., 2011). The average annual death from TBI in the US is 53,014, mostly of the young age group (Coronado et al., 2011). This value is only the tip of the iceberg as TBI accounts annually for up to 275,000 hospitalization and 1,365,000 emergency department visits despite those who receive no care or donot appear at the emergency setting (Faul et al., 2010; McCrea et al., 2004)
1 Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
