• UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine
UCLA Neurosurgery

UCLA Neurosurgery

UCLA Neurosurgery
  • About Us
    • Chair's Welcome
    • Neurosurgery Faculty
    • Our History
    • Clinical Quality Program
    • Innovation and Technology
    • Giving
    • eNewsletters
    • In the News
    • Webcasts
    • Webinars
    • Resources and Links
    • Global Neuro Health
    • Golden Portal Awards
    • Visionary Ball
    • Lab Party
    • UCLA Neurosurgery App
    • Spotlights
    • Chair's Welcome
    • Neurosurgery Faculty
    • Our History
    • Clinical Quality Program
    • eNewsletters
    • Innovation and Technology
    • In the News
    • Webcasts
    • Webinars
    • Giving
    • Global Neuro Health
    • Lab Party
    • Spotlights
  • Conditions Treated
    • Alphabetical Conditions
    • Brain Conditions
    • Brain Tumor
    • Pediatric Conditions
    • Spine Conditions
    • Acoustic Neuroma
    • Adult Tethered Cord
    • Acromegaly
    • Acute Subdural Hematomas
    • Anaplastic Astrocytoma (AA)
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • Aqueductal Stenosis
    • Arachnoid Cysts
    • Arnold Chiari Malformation
    • Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)
    • Astrocytoma
    • Ballism
    • Basilar Invagination
    • Brachial Plexus Injury
    • Brain Aneurysm
    • Brain Attack (Stroke)
    • Brain AVM
    • Brain Conditions
    • Brain Metastases
    • Brainstem Glioma
    • Carotid Dissection
    • Carotid Stenosis
    • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
    • Causalgia
    • Cavernous Angioma
    • Cerebral Aneurysms
    • Cerebral Contusion and Intracerebral Hematoma
    • Chordomas
    • Chorea
    • Chronic Subdural Hematomas
    • Colloid Cyst
    • Coma
    • Concussion
    • Congenital Dermal Sinus
    • Cranial GunShot Wounds
    • Craniopharyngioma
    • Craniosynostosis
    • Cushing's Disease
    • Cyst Epidermoid Tumor
    • Dandy Walker Syndrome
    • Degenerative Disc Disease
    • Dermoid Tumor
    • Disc Herniation
    • Dural Arteriovenous Malformations
    • Dystonia
    • Ependymoma
    • Epidermoid Tumor (Cyst)
    • Epidural Hematomas
    • Epilepsy
    • Essential Tremor
    • Extratemporal Lobe Epilepsies
    • Facet Joint Syndrome
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Frontal Lobe Epilepsy
    • Ganglioglioma
    • Glioblastoma
    • Germinoma
    • Glioma
    • Glomus Jugulare Tumor
    • Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia
    • Hemangioblastomas
    • Hemi-Facial Spasm
    • Hydrocephalus
    • Hyperhidrosis
    • Intracerebral Hemorrhage
    • Intracranial Hypotension
    • JPA
    • Low-Grade Astrocytoma
    • Lymphocytic Hypophysitis
    • Lymphoma
    • Malignant Nerve Sheath Tumors
    • Medulloblastoma
    • Meningioma Brain Tumor
    • Meralgia Paresthetica
    • Metastatic Brain Tumors
    • Moyamoya Disease
    • Myelomeningocele
    • Myelopathy
    • Nelson's Syndrome
    • Neurocysticercosis
    • Neurofibromatosis Type 2 and Schwannomatosis
    • Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
    • Oligodendroglioma
    • Optic Nerve Glioma
    • Osteoarthritis of the Peripheral Joint
    • Osteoarthritis of the Spine
    • Osteomyelitis
    • Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures
    • Parkinsons Syndrome
    • Pediatric Conditions
    • Pediatric Hydrocephalus
    • Peripheral Nerve Injury
    • Phantom Limb Pain
    • Pineal Tumor
    • Pineoblastoma
    • Pineocytoma
    • Platybasia
    • Postherpetic Neuralgia
    • Post-Traumatic Seizures
    • Primary CNS Lymphoma
    • Pseudotumor Cerebri
    • Radiculopathy—Cervical & Lumbar (Pinched Nerve)
    • Recurrent Adenomas
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Schwannomas
    • Scoliosis
    • Seizure
    • Skull Fracture
    • Slit Ventricle Syndrome
    • Spasticity
    • Spinal Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)
    • Spinal Compression Fractures
    • Spine Conditions
    • Spinal Cord Injury
    • Spinal Cord Lipomas & Lipomyelomeningoceles
    • Spinal Cord Tumors
    • Stenosis
    • Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
    • Syringomyelia
    • Tethered Cord Syndrome
    • Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
    • Thyrotroph (TSH) Secreting Adenomas
    • Torticollis
    • Traumatic Hematomas
    • Trigeminal Neuralgia
    • Trochanteric Bursitis
    • Ulnar Nerve Entrapment
  • Clinical Programs
    • Brain Tumor Center
    • Cerebrovascular
    • Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery
    • Neurotrauma & Neuro Critical Care
    • Pediatric Neurosurgery
    • Peripheral Nerve
    • Pituitary and Skull Base Surgery
    • Spine Center
    • Brain Tumor Center
    • Cerebrovascular
    • Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery
    • Neurotrauma & Neuro Critical Care
    • Pediatric Neurosurgery
    • Peripheral Nerve
    • Pituitary and Skull Base Surgery
    • Spine Center
  • For Patients
    • Appointment Request
    • Telemedicine and Remote Second Opinion
    • Contact Us
    • Maps and Directions
    • myUCLAhealth
    • UCLA Neurosurgery app
    • Preparing for Neurosurgery
    • Peer Support Program
    • Going Home After Surgery
    • Billing Information
    • Suspect a Brain Injury?
    • Patient Stories
    • Patient and Family Advisory Council
    • Resources and Links
    • Appointment Request
    • Telemedicine and Remote Second Opinion
    • Contact Us
    • myUCLAhealth
    • UCLA Neurosurgery App
    • Preparing for Neurosurgery
    • Peer Support Program
    • Going Home After Surgery
    • Billing Information
    • Suspect a Brain Injury?
    • Patient Stories
    • Patient and Family Advisory Council
    • Resources and Links
  • Research Innovation
    • Research Scientists
    • Brain Injury Research Center (BIRC)
    • Brain Tumor SPORE
    • Clinical Trials
    • Research Grant Funding
    • Surgical Neurology International
    • Publications
  • Education
    • Residency Training
    • Fellowship Programs
    • Visiting Scholars
    • Calendar
    • Events
    • Conferences and Courses
    • 100 Subjects in Neurosurgery
    • Submit Anonymous Feedback
  • For Healthcare Professionals
    • How to Refer a Patient
    • Clinical Updates
  • Find a Doctor
  • UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine

UCLA Neurosurgery

Clinical Programs

Clinical Programs

Clinical Programs

  • Brain Tumor Center
  • Cerebrovascular
    • Aneurysm
    • Arteriovenous Malformations (AVM)
    • Moyamoya
    • Stroke and Carotid Stenosis
      • Diagnoses - Stroke
      • Faculty - Stroke Program
      • Links - Stroke Program
  • Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery
    • Epilepsy
      • Pediatric Epilepsy
      • Adult Epilepsy
        • Diagnoses - Adult Epilepsy
        • Faculty - Adult Epilepsy Program
        • Patient Services - Adult Epilepsy
        • Links - Adult Epilepsy
    • Movement Disorders and Pain
  • Neurotrauma & Neuro Critical Care
    • UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program
    • Brain Injury Program
      • Diagnoses - Brain Injury Program
      • Faculty - Brain Injury
      • Patient Services - Brain Injury Program
    • Edie Baskin Bronson and Richard Skip Bronson CBF Laboratory
    • Neurocritical Care Program
      • Neurocritical Care Fellowship - UCLA
      • ICU of the Future Symposium
      • Conferences and Courses
      • Neuro ICU Family Guide
  • Pediatric Neurosurgery
  • Peripheral Nerve
    • Peripheral Nerve Program
      • Diagnoses - Peripheral Nerve
      • Faculty - Peripheral Nerve
      • Links - Peripheral Nerve Program
  • Pituitary and Skull Base Surgery
  • Spine Center
    • Chiari and Syringomyelia Program
      • Diagnoses - Chiari and Syringomyelia
      • Faculty - Chiari Syringomyelia
      • Links - Chiari and Syringomyelia Program
  • Brain Tumor Center
  • Cerebrovascular
  • Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery
  • Neurotrauma & Neuro Critical Care
  • Pediatric Neurosurgery
  • Peripheral Nerve
  • Pituitary and Skull Base Surgery
  • Spine Center
  • UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program
  • Brain Injury Program
  • Edie Baskin Bronson and Richard Skip Bronson CBF Laboratory
  • Neurocritical Care Program
  • Diagnoses - Brain Injury Program
  • Faculty - Brain Injury
  • Patient Services - Brain Injury Program
  1. Home
  2. Clinical Programs
  3. Neurotrauma & Neuro Critical Care
  4. Brain Injury Program
  5. Patient Services - Brain Injury Program

Patient Services - Brain Injury Program

Share this

Epidemiology Of A Head Injury

  • Trauma is the leading cause of death in people younger than 45 in the United States, and brain injury causes more trauma deaths than any other type of injury.
  • About 400,000 new cases of brain injury occur each year in the United States. For every 24 people who seek medical treatment for brain injury, about six are admitted to a hospital and one dies from the damage.
  • Motor vehicle crashes are the most common cause of head and brain injuries and involve a disproportionately large number of young people. Brain injury occurs twice as often among males compared with females.
  • In recent years, injury prevention efforts such as motorcycle helmet and seatbelt laws, infant restraint seats, air bags and stricter drunken driving penalties have helped ease the rate of injury.
  • Overall, about half of hospital patients with brain injury have mild trauma, about a quarter have moderate injuries and about a quarter suffer severe, life-threatening damage.
  • Patient age and severity of the injury are consistent and major predictors of recovery from brain injury. Nearly all patients with a severe head injury develop some degree of disability, while about two of three patients with moderate brain injury suffer disability. Among patients discharged with doctor expectations of a "good recovery," at least 10 percent to 20 percent suffer ongoing neuropsychological difficulties.

Head Injury Prevention

Public education initiatives targeting brain and spinal cord injury, such as Think First, and safety legislation have helped ease the rate of traumatic brain injury.
  • From 1982 to 1992, seat belt use among drivers and passengers in the United States increased from 11 percent to 66 percent.
  • In 1992, air bags saved more than 550 lives and prevented an estimated 40,000 serious injuries.
  • Fatalities from motorcycle use have fallen from more than 4,600 in 1982 to 2,400 in 1992 in conjunction with implementation of helmet laws.
  • Increased use of infant restraint seats from 1982 to 1992 saved more than 2,000 infant lives.
  • The pervasive problem of alcohol-related traffic accidents is also starting to diminish due to broad educational efforts and strict enforcement of drunken driving laws. Between 1982 and 1992, alcohol-related traffic deaths fell by more than 30 percent despite a rising number of vehicles on the road.

Glasgow Coma Scale

Eye opening
4 = Spontaneously
3 = To voice
2 = To pain
1 = None
Verbal response
5 = Oriented
4 = Confused
3 = Inappropriate words
2 = Incomprehensible sounds
1 = None
Motor Response
6 = Follows commands
5 = Localizes pain
4 = Withdrawal to pain
3 = Abnormal flexion
2 = Abnormal extension
1 = None
  • The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is the most widely used method of defining a patient's level of consciousness. Medical personnel routinely use the scale to objectively describe a patient's neurological status, or brain health.
  • The patient's best movement, verbal and eye opening responses determine the GCS:
    • A patient who can follow commands, is fully aware and has spontaneous eye-opening scores a GCS of 15.
    • No movement, eye opening or verbal response to pain scores a GCS of 3.
    • Patients with a GCS of 8 or less are considered to be in a coma.
  • Differences in a patient's GCS score compiled by observing medical staff are small when the scale is properly performed. Therefore, a change in the GCS score from one assessment to the next indicates a significant change in level of consciousness.
  • Medical staff also use the scale to determine chances of recovery from head injury. Head injury severity is generally categorized into one of three levels based on the GCS after initial treatment:
    • Mild (GCS 13-15)
    • Moderate (GCS 9-12)
    • Severe (GCS 3-8)

Recovery After A Brain Injury

  • Even though much is known about different types of head injuries, recovery is difficult to predict. Some patients with severe initial injuries make dramatic recoveries within several months to a year, while patients with milder injuries sometimes encounter chronic neuropsychological and physical problems.
  • Factors known to diminish chances of satisfactory neurological and psychological recovery from brain injury include older age (after age 50 or 60), low Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, poor pupil response, low blood pressure or oxygenation following the injury, and prolonged and difficult to control pressure on the brain.
  • Symptoms diagnosed with computed tomography (CT) brain scans that diminish chances of a good recovery include acute subdural hematoma, intracerebral hematomas, multiple contusions, subarachnoid hemorrhage and large degrees of brain shift from one side to the other, called midline shift.
  • In the most recent reports, 50 percent to 60 percent of brain injury patients enjoyed good recovery or moderate disability. The mortality rate stood at approximately 25 percent.
  • Despite intensive treatment, long-term disability occurs in a large portion of the survivors of severe head injury. Significant neuropsychological problems (memory, cognitive and behavioral changes) and physical disabilities are also common in patients sustaining milder injuries.
  • Patients with significant cognitive brain function impairment are best managed at a comprehensive rehabilitation unit for several weeks or months after they leave the hospital.
  • Recovery of function from the time of discharge to six months post injury can be dramatic, even in some deeply comatose individuals. Improvement generally begins to plateau at six months post injury and typically peaks at one year to 18 months.
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube LinkedIn
UCLA Health hospitals ranked best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report
  • UCLA Health
  • Find a Doctor
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • UCLA Campus
  • Directory
  • Newsroom
  • Subscribe
  • Patient Stories
  • Giving
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • International Services
  • Privacy Practices
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Billing
  • Health Plans
  • Emergency
  • Report Broken Links
  • Terms of Use
  • 1-310-825-2631
  • Maps & Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Your Feedback
  • Report Misconduct
  • Get Social
  • Sitemap