More than 23 million U.S. adults age 40 or older have a history of head injuries in which they lost consciousness. Falls are the most common cause. U.S. deaths from fall-related traumatic brain injury increased by 17% from 2008 to 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fall-related death rates were highest in those age 75 and up. The long-term effects of traumatic brain injury are well documented. They include an increased risk for neurological diseases such as dementia, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. A recent Penn Medicine study found a single head injury can increase the risk of developing dementia as much as 25 years later.