Communicating About Brain Injury: A Shared Statement for Change

Last fall, a coalition of leading brain injury organizations, clinicians, individuals with lived experience and researchers, including Angelle Sander, PhD, and Shannon Juengst, PhD, both clinical investigators in TIRR Memorial Hermann’s Brain Health and Rehabilitation Research Center (BHRRC), released Communicating About Brain Injury, a joint statement highlighting the importance of clear, consistent and hopeful language when discussing brain injury—a condition that can affect anyone, at any time.

Brain injuries are complex: Some people recover quickly, while others experience lasting effects that ripple across families, friends and caregivers. Yet, as Dr. Sander, the director and senior scientist of the BHRRC at TIRR Memorial Hermann, emphasizes, “It’s not just about deficits. People with brain injury can still accomplish their goals and live fulfilling lives, even if they do it differently.”

Brain injuries are complex: Some people recover quickly, while others experience lasting effects that ripple across families, friends and caregivers. Yet, as Dr. Sander, the director and senior scientist of the BHRRC at TIRR Memorial Hermann, emphasizes, “It’s not just about deficits. People with brain injury can still accomplish their goals and live fulfilling lives, even if they do it differently.”

1. ACRM Brain Injury Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group (represented by Dr. Sander)
2. Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA)
3. BIAA Brain Injury Advisory Council, a lived-experience council of BIAA
4. National Association of State Head Injury Administrators
5. North American Brain Injury Society
6. PINK Concussions
7. The former U.S. Brain Injury Alliance
8. TBI Model Systems (civilian and Veterans Affairs (VA) represented by Drs. Juengst and Sander)

Individuals with lived experience of brain injury also played a critical role in shaping statement content, allowing that the perspectives of survivors and their families were central.

According to Dr. Juengst, a senior scientist and clinical investigator with BHRRC, the project grew out of a recognition that messages about brain injury are often unbalanced.

“Too often, what people hear or read is very negative, focused almost entirely on limitations,” she notes. “We wanted to create something that would both acknowledge the real challenges people face, while also fostering hope and emphasizing what people can actively do to live well after brain injury.”

The Communicating About Brain Injury statement outlines 12 key considerations for how professionals, advocates, the media and the public should frame conversations about brain injury.

Among its priorities are distinguishing between the initial injury, the resulting disability and the potential for chronic effects; ensuring that language reflects both realism and optimism; and underscoring the role of rehabilitation and support in maximizing recovery and quality of life.

This emphasis on balance aligns with broader shifts in the field toward brain health and long-term wellness. Under Dr. Sander’s leadership, TIRR Memorial Hermann’s BHRRC has recently expanded its focus in this direction, recognizing that individuals living with brain injury benefit not only from treatment of impairments, but also from resources that promote resilience, empowerment and self-management.

Of note, the statement underscores how much language matters. Words shape public perception and influence policy and can even determine whether someone qualifies for critical services.

“Having all of our major organizations aligned behind a consistent message is a powerful step toward allowing that people with brain injury be represented accurately, respectfully and with hope,” Dr. Juengst says.

The statement’s Oct. 6, 2025, release was accompanied by a coordinated effort from the participating organizations to share the statement widely. For clinicians, researchers, survivors and advocates alike, this statement offers both practical guidance and a unifying vision—that communication about brain injury should be accurate, compassionate and empowering.