Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in older adults: aging with a TBI versus incident TBI in the aged.

Approximately 39 million older adults (age >65) were evaluated for traumatic brain injury (TBI) in United States emergency departments during the 2-year period from 2009 to 2010, representing a 61% increase in estimates from prior years (Albrecht et al., 2015a). Across the lifespan, an estimated 5.3 million Americans are living with a TBI-related disability (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2003). With improved recognition and management, more individuals experiencing TBI are surviving to die of other causes later in life (Flanagan et al., 2005). Taken together, these statistics highlight two important populations: those who are "aging with a TBI" and "incident TBI in the aged."