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Notice to Readers: Brain Injury Awareness Month --- March 2007
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, which is dedicated to helping the public learn more about brain injury and
to improving the lives of persons living with brain injury. "Brain Injury: As Diverse As We Are" is the theme for this year's
Brain Injury Awareness Month campaign, which will highlight the diversity of the causes of brain injuries and the persons
who sustain them.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) contribute to a substantial number of deaths and permanent disabilities each year.
CDC estimates that approximately 1.4 million persons sustain a TBI
(1) each year in the United States. In addition,
approximately 5.3 million persons in the United States (nearly 2% of the U.S. population) need long-term assistance with
performing activities of daily living because of TBIs
(2). Lifetime costs of TBI totaled $60 billion in 2000; this includes direct medical
and indirect costs such as lost productivity
(3).
In recognition of Brain Injury Awareness Month, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), with support from
CDC, is offering educational kits about living with brain injury. The materials include 1) five booklets that provide information
for persons with brain injuries and their families and caregivers, 2) fact sheets that describe the experiences of four persons
who sustained brain injuries, 3) a poster that depicts the diversity of the causes of brain injuries and the persons affected by
them, and 4) CDC's Facts about Traumatic Brain Injury fact sheet. These materials and additional information about Brain
Injury Awareness Month are available from BIAA online at
http://www.biausa.org/media.htm#march or by telephone at
1-800-444-6443.
CDC also assisted the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center in the development of a fact sheet and video
documentary, "Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury," which features the recovery experiences of several military service personnel and
their
families. The video aims to raise awareness about TBI among the general public, active duty service members, and
veterans. Additional information about the fact sheet and video is available online from the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury
Center at http://www.dvbic.org/cms.php?p=education. Additional information about CDC's TBI-related activities,
educational materials, and research is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/tbi/tbi.htm.
References
CDC. Traumatic brain injury in the United States: emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. Atlanta, GA: US Department of
Health and Human Services, CDC; 2006.
Thurman D, Alverson C, Dunn K, Guerrero J, Sniezek J. Traumatic brain injury in the United States: a public health perspective. J Head
Trauma Rehabil 1999;14:602--15.
Finkelstein E, Corso P, Miller T, et al. The incidence and economic burden of injuries in the United States. New York, NY: Oxford University
Press; 2006.
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Health and Human Services.References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are
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endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content
of pages found at these sites. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of
the date of publication.
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