Medical professionals training those who have been wounded in the recent conflicts in the Mideast tell us that many troops coming home with a diagnosis of PTSD actually have Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is usually the result of a sudden, violent blow to the head. The skull can often withstand a forceful, external impact without fracturing – but a blow such as this can launch the brain on an internal collision with the skull. The result, an injured brain inside an intact skull, is known as a “closed-head injury.”

A brain injury may also occur when a projectile, such as a bullet, rock or fragment of a fractured skull, penetrates the brain. The severity of brain injuries can vary greatly, depending on the part of the brain affected and the extent of the damage. A mild brain injury may cause only temporary confusion and headache, but a serious one can be fatal.