ABSTRACT
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is caused by a blunt force or direct blow to the head or elsewhere in the body, with an impulsive transmission to the brain resulting in acceleration/deceleration, translational, rotational, and/or angular forces. TBI is a serious public health problem, contributing to one-third of all injury-related deaths in the United States each year. A mild TBI is associated with a force or impact to the head or body that causes the brain to accelerate and decelerate with translational, rotational, and/or angular forces. Children are at particular risk for TBI given their developing nervous system, thinner cranial bones, and lack of musculature to absorb transmitted forces, including weaker necks, larger heads in proportion to their bodies, and inherent risk-taking behaviors. Among children, most mild TBI symptoms resolve within a couple of weeks, but the length of recovery is unique to the characteristics of the injury and person.
