traumatic brain injury

noun

: an acquired brain injury caused by external force (such as a blow to the head sustained in a motor vehicle accident or fall or shrapnel or a bullet entering through the skull)

Traumatic brain injury occurs when the shock from an explosion damages neurological fibers. Soldiers may survive a blast with scarcely a cut, only to find over time that they suffer coordination and memory loss, dizziness, insomnia.

—Nancy Gibbs

An unprotected fall, especially if the player is unconscious or his opponent lands on top of him, can result in severe traumatic brain injury.

—Michael J. Stuart et al.

broadly : acquired brain injury

—abbreviation TBI

Examples of traumatic brain injury in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Often, traumatic brain injury patients end up in a coma or a minimally conscious state immediately after the accident. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2024

That is in part because of how traumatic brain injuries, known as T.B.I.s, are diagnosed. —Dave Philipps, New York Times, 2 May 2024

Hogg’s fight to reduce the risk of concussions and other traumatic brain injuries is personal. —Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 19 Feb. 2024

Many people never recover from traumatic brain injuries, while others may end up with permanent disabilities. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2024

Alison Warren, Juniper’s aunt, has told The Bee that her niece suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash. —Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 22 May 2024

But the official wouldn't say how many of those were deemed to have suffered traumatic brain injuries, citing patient privacy rules. —Jay O'Brien, ABC News, 9 May 2024

But after his child’s traumatic brain injury, Sulzer’s eyes were opened to how much his field was missing about the real experiences of families dealing with recovery. —Stat Staff, STAT, 8 May 2024

Here, Jones plays a traumatic brain injury survivor. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

traumatic brain injury

noun

: an acquired brain injury caused by external force (as a blow to the head sustained in a motor vehicle accident or fall or shrapnel or a bullet entering through the skull)

A soldier—or a civilian—can survive the blast without a single penetrating wound and still receive the worst diagnosis: traumatic brain injury, or TBI, the signature injury of the Iraq War.

—Michael Mason, Discover

An unprotected fall, especially if the player is unconscious or his opponent lands on top of him, can result in severe traumatic brain injury.

—Michael J. Stuart et al., USA Today

broadly : acquired brain injury

—abbreviation TBI