Table 1.

Definition of mild TBI, based on the definition developed by the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee of the Head Injury Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (1993)

Application of a physical force to the brain, including:

blunt trauma to the head (i.e., head being struck, head striking an object) AND/OR acceleration/deceleration movement

The physical force induces a physiological disruption of brain function, as evidenced by one or more of the following:

any period of loss of consciousness any period of posttraumatic amnesia alteration of consciousness (i.e., “dazed, disoriented, or confused”) focal neurological deficits (transient or sustained)

To remain in the mild category of injury:

loss of consciousness (if present) is does not exceed approximately 30 minutes Glasgow Coma Scale score (if obtained) is 13-15 within 30 minutes post-injury posttraumatic amnesia (if present) does not persist for more than 24 hours

Injuries producing more than 30 minutes of lost consciousness, initial (e.g., 30-minute post-injury) Glasgow Coma Scale scores ≤ 12, or posttraumatic amnesia > 24 hours are considered more than mild (i.e., moderate or severe)