Which term describes a brain injury in which the skull remains intact but brain tissue is damaged?

Which term describes a brain injury in which the skull remains intact but brain tissue is damaged?

• A. Open traumatic brain injury
• B. Closed traumatic brain injury
• C. Diffuse axonal injury
• D. Concussion

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is the distinction between a skull breach and no breach. When the skull stays intact but the brain tissue sustains damage from the impact or rapid movement inside the skull, that is called a closed traumatic brain injury. The skull is not fractured or penetrated, even though the brain has been injured. Open traumatic brain injury would involve a skull fracture or a penetrating object entering the brain. Other terms describe specific injury patterns or severities (like a mild concussion), but the description given—skull intact with brain injury—maps directly to closed traumatic brain injury.

The key idea here is the distinction between a skull breach and no breach. When the skull stays intact but the brain tissue sustains damage from the impact or rapid movement inside the skull, that is called a closed traumatic brain injury. The skull is not fractured or penetrated, even though the brain has been injured. Open traumatic brain injury would involve a skull fracture or a penetrating object entering the brain. Other terms describe specific injury patterns or severities (like a mild concussion), but the description given—skull intact with brain injury—maps directly to closed traumatic brain injury.