1. Kylen Martinez
S00847240
Hall of Fame Assignment
Tracy Morgan is an actor and comedian best known for his eight seasons on Saturday Night
Live from 1993‐2003. As well as his role in the comedy 30 Rock, which ran for seven seasons.On June
7 2014 Morgan was riding in a Mercedes Sprinter mini bus. The vehicle was traveling north on the
New Jersey turnpike around 1:00 am when it was struck from behind by a tractor trailer operated by
Walmart. Morgan was flown to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a severe traumatic brain
injury, as well as a broken femur, broken nose and several broken ribs. Morgan remained in a coma
for 2 weeks and It was unclear if he would ever fully recover. On June 20th Morgan was transferred to
a rehabilitation facility which he was released from on July 12th. In October of 2014 It was reported
that Morgan was still undergoing rehabilitation five days a week for his TBI and still required a
wheelchair when walking more than a few feet. Nearly one year later on June 4th, 2015 Morgen made
his first public appearance since the accident where he reported that he had good days and bad days
and was still not back to 100%. He reported that even after a year he still suffered from headaches,
and nosebleeds as well as some memory and balance issues. The comedian also expressed feelings of
doubt as to whether he could ever be funny again (nbc.com)
Etiology
A traumatic brain injury occurs when there is a blow or other injury to the head. The most
common causes of these types of injuries include sports injuries, vehicle collisions, falls, violence, and
explosive blasts. The damage of a TBI can be focused on one area of the brain like from a direct blow.
It could also be a more diffuse injury which involves multiple areas of the brain. The impact can cause
the brain to bruise or swell and bleed. A more diffuse injury such as an acceleration‐deceleration
injury can result in axonal shearing. This occurs when the different layers of the brain slide over each
other at different speeds. This causes the neurons to stretch and break which results in a lack of
communication and damage to that area of the brain(mayoclinic.org)
Pathology
“​Mild traumatic brain injuries may cause temporary dysfunction of brain cells. A more serious
traumatic brain injury can result in bruising, torn tissues, bleeding and other physical damage to the
brain that can result in long‐term complications or death” (mayo clinic). Symptoms of a TBI are
determined by the severity of damage to the brain as well as the area of the brain affected. Some of
the symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury include headaches, difficulty sleeping, dizziness,

2. sensitivity to lights and sounds and difficulty with memory and concentration. A more severe
traumatic brain injury include symptoms such as loss of consciousness, seizures, slurred speech,
profound confusion and coma. The people most at risk for developing a TBI are children under 4,
young adults between the ages of 15‐24, and adults above 75. It is estimated that a TBI was a
contributing factor in 30 % of all injury related deaths in the United States of america(cdc.org)
Prognosis
The brain is a very complicated organ and no two head injuries are the same. This makes it
difficult to make an accurate prognosis. It may be months before doctors can accurately decide how
long it will take for a patient to recover from a TBI. However, there are a few factors that doctors can
use to make a general prognosis. These factors include the length and severity of the coma (if there is
one) and the location and size of the trauma. Generally the more severe the injury the longer the
recovery process takes and the more long term effects there are. Age is also a factor in determining a
prognosis. Children under 2 and adults over the age of 65 have a worse prognosis than someone else
with the same injury at a different age. recovery from a traumatic brain injury can take anywhere
from a week to several months and some people never fully recover(traumaticbraininjury.com)
Symptoms
● Mild Traumatic brain injury (concussion)
○ Loss of consciousness for a few minutes
○ Nausea and vomiting
○ Headache
○ Difficulty sleeping or sleeping more than usual
○ Dizziness and loss of balance
○ blurred vision
○ Ringing in the ears
○ Change in the ability to smell
○ Sensitivity to light and sound
○ Problems with memory and concentration
○ Feelings of anxiousness or depression
● Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury
○ Include all of the symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury plus a few more
○ Loss of consciousness for more than a few minutes
○ Seizures
○ Dilation of pupils(in one or both eyes)
○ Clear fluids draining from eyes or nose
○ Weakness and numbness in fingers and toes
○ Loss of coordination
○ Profound confusion
○ Agitation or other unusual behavior
○ Slurred speech
○ Coma

3.
Treatment
Treatment following a TBI is dependant upon the severity of the injury. A mild traumatic brain
injury will typically be treated with rest and painkillers such as Ibuprofen. However a more severe
Traumatic brain injury can result in much more extensive treatment. A patient may need surgery to
maintain blood flow and oxygen and also to decrease swelling. Treatment may also include keeping
the patient in a drug induced coma to minimize agitation. A person may also be given medications for
seizures, depression, and behavioral issues. When the patient is able they will begin rehabilitation
treatment. This treatment will include restoring functional abilities such as walking, talking, eating and
using the bathroom. It will also include preventing secondary complications such as bedsores and
stabilizing and treating other injuries that may have been sustained at the same time as the TBI.
Physical therapy plays a huge roll in the rehabilitation of a traumatic brain injury “Physical
therapists help people with TBI regain their physical abilities, re‐learn daily tasks, and improve their
strength and overall fitness”(apta.org) A physical therapist can work with a patient on strength and
flexibility and endurance which can help them regain some of the functional activities they may have
lost. They can also work on balance and coordination which will help the patient when walking and
moving around. A physical therapist can also work with cognitive development and the ability to listen
to and follow commands. which can help the patients issues with memory and confusion. Physical
therapist may also be able to recommend and educate patients in the correct use of walkers,
wheelchairs and other assistive devices the patient may need.
It was unclear at first if Morgan would ever be able to recover from his injuries and even if he
did there it was unclear how long his recovery would take.However after 16 months of rehabilitation
Morgan returned to the comedy stage for the first time since his accident. Since then he has begun
doing more comedy and has been cast in the role of Redd Foxx in Richard Pryor’s new biopic. He
recently told people magazine”I feel like a complete artist again” While Tracey Morgan was able to
make an excellent recovery from a severe TBI, not all people are so lucky. While traumatic brain
injuries have received “increased public awareness, with many states and the federal government
considering or implementing laws directing the response to suspected brain injury”(jamanetwork.org)
traumatic brain injuries still continue to be a factor in a large amount of injury related deaths.
Hopefully with increasing awareness of the severity of these injuries we can continue to implement
changes to prevent as many of these injuries as possible in the future.

4. Works Cited
"APTA." ​APTA​. N.p., 2016. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
"NBC News ‐ Breaking News & Top Stories ‐ Latest World, US & Local News." ​NBC News​. N.p.,
1June 2015. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
"Traumatic Brain Injury." ​‐ Mayo Clinic​. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
"Legal Help & Resources for Brain & Spinal Cord Injury Survivors."​BrainAndSpinalCord.org​. N.p.,
2015. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
"Mild TBI Symptoms." ​TraumaticBrainInjurycom​. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Gilchrist, Julie, MD, Karen E. Thomas, MPH, Likang Xu, Lisa C. McGuire, PhD, and Victor Corando.
"Nonfatal Traumatic Brain Injuries Related to Sports and Recreation Activities Among Persons
Aged
≤19 Years‐United States, 2001‐2009." ​JAMA Network​. N.p., 7 Dec. 2011. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention​. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 Jan.
2016. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.