Ciara BrownMr. SellAnatomy & PhysiologyFebruary 26, 2015

Should TBIs have more government funding

1.5 million people in the U.S. will suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI), not related to sports, each year. Of these people, 85,000 will suffer from the long term disabilities that accompany a TBI. These are numbers that are, in all honesty, shocking. TBIs are caused by a lot of of different injuries such as, but not limited to, open head injuries, deceleration injuries, chemical/toxic injuries, hypoxia, tumors, infections, and strokes. These are common injuries that occur in our nation, and they affect a lot of people, so it only makes sense that TBIs are an area worthy of more government funding. The reasons are that there isnt enough knowledge about TBIs, the long lasting consequences are emergent, and more funding can aid in prevention and treatment.

Firstly, there isnt enough knowledge about TBIs. In an article in the Journal of Sports Medicine, for example, it was discussed whether or not the number of sports-related concussions would go up if these participants were given the current definition of concussion. What the authors found is that the number of self-reported concussions were significantly higher after the athletes were read the current, medically accepted definition of concussion. In 2008, the Third International Conference on Concussions in Sports expanded the definition of concussion to include a wide range of potential indicators, including headaches, visual disturbances, nausea, dizziness, sleep disturbances, and memory problems. (Robbins 100) This is the definition that was provided to the athletes that allowed them to understand more of what a concussion actually was. If we had the funding to raise knowledge everywhere and with everyone, then we could work on the next step, preventing the compelling consequences that will follow these traumatic brain injuries.These consequences that are sure to follow, can inhibit ones ability to live a functioning, healthy life. Every year about 50,000 people die from TBIs that couldve possibly been avoided. Some of these people had also been been previously hospitalized for their injuries. Out of everyone who suffers a TBI, 2% will die from them. Many more people wont die, but they will suffer the symptoms and debilitating consequences later in life. Some early symptoms of traumatic brain injuries are memory impairment, executive dysfunction, depression, irritability, impulse control problems, and aggression. These symptoms progress with the injury and can cause damaging repercussions. In addition, anywhere from 1.6-3.8 million sports-related concussions happen each year, but many more arent recognized or even reported. There is also an even higher number of injuries that include the non sports-related injuries. If we had more government funding, then the number of deaths and injuries could decrease significantly. This would mean that less people would suffer the consequences that follow the injury. More spending would also improve the American population as a whole, because it would decrease the number of Americans living with a disability directly caused from a TBI. With these two points in mind, the final step would be to prevent and treat.As of right now, we do not have the necessary government funding to effectively treat and prevent traumatic brain injuries. TBIs are plaguing our nation, but they dont have to. With more government funding, this problem can almost be non-existent. With proper TBI education, prevention can be more effective. Money would go into preventing, through education, but also into the treatment of the effects of TBIs. This can make the suffering people much happier. Overall, this would be a great improvement for the American people since just about everyone knows someone who has suffered a TBI at some point. In conclusion, TBIs are serious issues that can have a lot of daunting effects. To get rid of these issues, we must have more government funding. The reasons that we need more funding are that there isnt enough knowledge about the subject, the long-lasting consequences are extremely damaging, and the funding can prevent and treat TBIs. As you can see, funding will greatly improve many lives and can fix a problem that needs to be fixed.

Works CitedBaugh, Christine M., Julie M. Stamm, David O. Riley, Brandon E. Gavett, Martha E. Shenton, Alexander Lin, Christopher J. Nowinski, Robert C. Cantu, Ann C. Mckee, and Robert A. Stern. "Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: Neurodegeneration following Repetitive Concussive and Subconcussive Brain Trauma." Brain Imaging and Behavior 6.2 (2012): 244-54. Web.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 23 Feb. 2015. Web. Feb. 2015.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24 Feb. 2014. Web. Feb. 2015.Mckee, Ann C., Robert C. Cantu, Christopher J. Nowinski, E. Tessa Hedley-Whyte, Brandon E. Gavett, Andrew E. Budson, Veronica E. Santini, Hyo-Soon Lee, Caroline A. Kubilus, and Robert A. Stern. "Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Athletes." Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology 68.7 (2009): 709-35. Web.Stern, Robert A., David O. Riley, Daniel H. Daneshvar, Christopher J. Nowinski, Robert C. Cantu, and Ann C. Mckee. "Long-term Consequences of Repetitive Brain Trauma: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy." Pm&r 3.10 (2011): S460-467. Web.