Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important public health problem in the United States. TBI is frequently referred to as the “silent epidemic” because the complications from TBI, such as changes affecting thinking, sensation, language, or emotions, may not be readily apparent. In addition, awareness about TBI among the general public is limited.

Through the TBI Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–166), Congress first charged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with “determining the incidence and prevalence of traumatic brain injury in all age groups in the general population of the United States.” In response, CDC has produced, Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States:​ Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations and Deaths 2002–2006.

Population-based data on TBI are critical to understanding the impact of TBI on the American people. This report presents data on TBI-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths for the years 2002 through 2006 and can be used to determine the number of TBIs occurring each year, groups most affected, and the leading causes of TBI. This important information can be used to document the need for TBI prevention, to identify research and education priorities, and to support the need for services among individuals living with a TBI.

This report is an update to CDC’s previously published report released in 2004 and is intended as a reference for policymakers, health care and service providers, educators, researchers, advocates, and others interested in knowing more about the impact of TBI in the United States.1