According to the Center for Disease Control, there are nearly 1.5 million cases of TBI-some mild, some severe-reported each year in this country. About 50,000 of the people who have a TBI die, and about 80,000 leave the hospital with a disability. Today, about 5.3 million people in this country live with a disability that was caused by a traumatic brain injury, which is why it is called the "silent epidemic".
A traumatically brain injured individual may appear fine on the surface and may not exhibit obvious signs of a head injury. An individual may have a complete medical recovery from the physical symptoms and yet continue to experience some lingering (and chronic) functional problems (e.g., reasoning, problem-solving or memory capabilities) in his or her attempt to resume a normal life. It is important to remember that symptoms vary in type and severity, depending on the degree of the injury and the portion of the brain involved.