Presented by the Summit Daily News
The Longevity Project 2025: Headstrong – How to identify, prevent and treat traumatic brain injuries
Traumatic brain injuries can happen to any one — at any time. They can negatively affect memory, attention, concentration, mood and behavior — and can cause, in serious cases, physical and mental disabilities.
Coloradans report higher rates of traumatic brain injuries than 41 of the 50 states in America. Roughly 1,000 people die and 5,000 people are hospitalized from them every year in the state, according to the Brain Injury Association of Colorado.
Andrew Maciejewski/Summit Daily News
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Battered brains: Traumatic brain injuries in the heart of Colorado’s mountains outpace state, national averages
With endless outdoor activities that attract thrill-seekers from around the globe, mountain towns like those in Summit and Grand counties see elevated rates of traumatic brain injuries, also known as TBIs. These injuries are caused by any force to the head or neck that alters the brain’s function or causes a loss of consciousness, according to Ph.D. Catie Johnston-Brooks at the Marcus Institute for Brain Health in Colorado.Read more
Andrew Maciejewski/Summit Daily News
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Mind mend: Therapy and mental health care bring hope to cognitive recovery for traumatic brain injuries
A 2004 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls traumatic brain injuries, also known as TBIs, a “silent epidemic” since the problems caused by them are often not visible, and the public is largely not aware of how prevalent they are in society.Read more.
Andrew Maciejewski/Summit Daily News
Thinking one of the baseball teams just recorded a hit, Karika-Thompson retrieved a lawn chair from her car and hurried back. When she settled into her chair, she noticed her 10-year-old son on the bench. Moments later, he returned to the game and was hit by a runner. Visibly shaken, her son was removed.
Not thinking anything was out of the ordinary, she drove her son home and promptly put him to bed since it was a late-night game. The next morning, things took a turn for the worse.
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Systemic shifts: New sports protocols and safety campaigns related to traumatic brain injuries help save lives
Arlene Karika-Thompson was walking away from the baseball diamond when the sound of a metal bat rang throughout the complex.Thinking one of the baseball teams just recorded a hit, Karika-Thompson retrieved a lawn chair from her car and hurried back. When she settled into her chair, she noticed her 10-year-old son on the bench. Moments later, he returned to the game and was hit by a runner. Visibly shaken, her son was removed.
Not thinking anything was out of the ordinary, she drove her son home and promptly put him to bed since it was a late-night game. The next morning, things took a turn for the worse.
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Liz Copan/For the Summit Daily News
Most symptoms of a traumatic brain injury — headaches, lethargy, dizziness, confusion — overlap with other common ailments, making diagnosis challenging.
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Healing headway: Colorado mountain towns work to overcome increased risk posed by traumatic brain injuries in rural areas
While Summit and Grand counties are equipped with medical facilities and experts who can help traumatic brain injury patients, the path to recovery can be difficult due to a variety of factors.Most symptoms of a traumatic brain injury — headaches, lethargy, dizziness, confusion — overlap with other common ailments, making diagnosis challenging.
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Summit County residents learn about traumatic brain injuries and how to prevent them at Longevity Project event
At the annual Longevity Project event hosted by Summit Daily News on Tuesday, March 18, almost every hand in the audience at the Silverthorne Pavilion went up when asked if they or someone they know have been affected by a traumatic brain injury.
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