Types of Brain Injuries & Symptoms
Types of Brain Injuries
More than two million Americans experience a brain injury each year, according to the . A brain injury is described as traumatic or non-traumatic depending on how it occurred. Some injuries result in short-term challenges while others can result in permanent disability. Our nationally recognized specialists from our Brain Injury Program can support you every step of the way in your diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
We treat the following types of brain injuries:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Mild traumatic brain injury
- Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury
- Non-traumatic brain injury
- Disorders of consciousness
- Vegetative state
- Minimally conscious state
Traumatic Brain Injury
Most traumatic brain injuries are caused by a fall, car accident, sports, or assault. However, a traumatic brain injury could also be a result of an object cutting through your skull. The impact changes how your brain functions and may lead to the following symptoms:
- Brain swelling
- Bruising or bleeding
- Widespread nerve damage
Traumatic brain injuries are most often caused by a blow or jolt to your head.
Risk Factors For TBI
You are most at risk for a traumatic brain injury if you fall into any of the following demographics:
- Males between the ages of 15–24
- Children under 4 years old
- Adults over 60 years old
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Mild traumatic brain injuries are caused by direct force to the head. Most people make a full recovery from this kind of brain injury after several weeks.
Mild traumatic brain injury symptoms and short-term brain impacts can include the following:
- Loss of consciousness for less than 30 minutes
- Memory problems
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Sleep problems
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Vision changes
- Fatigue
- Emotional changes such as mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and depression
A concussion is also categorized as a mild traumatic brain injury. You may still have a concussion even if you didn't lose consciousness.
Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Patients with this severe traumatic brain injuries have more severe symptoms and mental impairments than patients with a mild traumatic brain injury:
- Loss of consciousness for more than 30 minutes
- Seizures
- Persistent headaches
- Problems speaking
- Severe confusion or agitation
- Difficulty walking
- Coordination problems
- Weakness/paralysis (not able to move)
- Changes in behavior
A moderate to severe traumatic brain injury may permanently damage parts of your brain. Your doctor may want to perform imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) to detect signs of a brain injury.
Find a Rehabilitation Specialist
Patient Ben Eder's TBI Recovery at Neilsen Rehabilitation
Non-Traumatic Brain Injury
A non-traumatic brain injury can occur as a result of the following causes:
- Virus
- Stroke or brain hemorrhage
- Heart attack
- Hypoxic encephalopathy (caused by oxygen deprivation in the brain)
- Brain tumor
- Meningitis
- Drug abuse
- Toxic substances such as lead
- Hydrocephalus (fluid buildup in the brain)
Disorders of Consciousness
We care for patients in a vegetative or a minimally conscious state at Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital. Our treatments for disorders of consciousness are unique to our Brain Injury Program since most other programs do not offer this niche service. Our physicians, therapists, nursing staff, and case managers are trained to support and treat these patients with complex medical needs.
Disorders of consciousness may have traumatic or non-traumatic causes. The type of injury that is sustained, along with many other factors, can impact your recovery in rehabilitation.
Signs of a Vegetative State vs. a Minimally Conscious State
A vegetative state is when patients have sleep/wake cycles along with some eye opening. They may be able to make some sounds, but are not aware of their environment.
In a minimally conscious state, patients can perform simple commands such as hand squeezing and may have some ability to communicate verbally such as answering ‘yes’ or ‘no.' These behaviors are typically inconsistent.
A patient is considered fully conscious if they meet the following criteria:
- Verbal and physical behaviors become more frequent and consistent
- They begin to show an understanding and awareness of the environment around themselves
As part of the Disorders of Consciousness Program, our team works to identify certain behaviors and actions that a patient is able to perform. This allows our specialists to determine the level in which a patient is currently functioning. We are then able to assist families with understanding their loved one's prognosis and future recovery.
Treatment
Our doctors and therapists work closely together to coordinate drug interventions and therapies. Our goal is to restore as much of your normal brain function as possible, so that you can join our standard brain injury program and eventually go home.
Our highly-trained providers and staff:
- Identify what stage the patient is in—Diagnosing the stage helps clarify the prognosis and determine how we guide families for the months and years ahead.
- Promote wakefulness and arousal—We use therapies and medications shown to increase brain activity to help move the patient through the stages of consciousness and recover faster.
- Educate families—We involve families early on to help them understand the patient's medical needs and what training may be necessary for them to take care of the patient long-term. Some patients will return home while others may need care in an additional skilled nursing facility.
- Prepare for a patient's return home—We will assess a patient's equipment needs from wheelchairs to shower chairs. We will base our assessment on a patient's recovery and progress.
Brain Injury Symptoms: Long-Term
Some patients can fully recover from a brain injury. Other patients experience lingering impacts that significantly change their lives. Your recovery will depend on the following factors:
- Circumstances of your injury
- Treatment
- Your overall health
- Where and how much your brain was affected
You may experience some of the following long-term symptoms:
Meet With One of Our Brain Injury Specialists
You will need a referral from your doctor to be admitted to our Brain Injury Program. Please call our referral line at 801-646-8000. Our referral specialist will work with your current provider to obtain necessary medical records and verify your insurance benefits for coverage.
Brain Injury Support Groups
U of U Health Neurologic Injuries Support Group
Contact Information
Cara Moyer
Email: cara.moyer@hsc.utah.edu
Kara Tucker
Email: kara.tucker@hsc.utah.edu
Sydney Beadles
Email: sydney.beadles@hsc.utah.edu
Date & Time: Second Tuesday of most months at 6:15 pm
Location: Sugar House Health Center (Oquirrh Conference Room 3rd Floor)
1280 East Stringham Avenue
Salt Lake City, Utah 84106
U of U Health Caregiver Support Group
Contact Information
Chris Pace, LCSW
Email: chris.pace@utah.edu
Date & Time: First Tuesday of every month from 6:00-7:00pm
Location: Sugar House Health Center (Oquirrh Conference Room 3rd Floor)
1280 East Stringham Avenue
Salt Lake City, Utah 84106
We kindly ask that only caregivers attend the support group. We want to help everyone feel comfortable sharing their stories openly and honestly. This environment allows caregivers to focus on their own needs and experiences without concern for how their loved one might react.
Funding for Brain Injury & Spinal Cord Injury Patients in Utah
The was consolidated during the 2024 Utah legislative session. This fund provides support for people with brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and non-progressive neurological conditions who need rehabilitation therapy services or specialized equipment for their everyday activities.
The Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury fund is intended for people who have no other financial options to pay for therapy or equipment.
