Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for monitoring a user for a traumatic brain injury. Aspects include monitoring a speech of the user with a microphone embedded in the helmet and analyzing, by a processor, one or more characteristics of the speech of the user. Aspects also include determining whether the one or more characteristics of the speech indicate that the user may have suffered the traumatic brain injury and creating an alert that the user of the helmet may have suffered the traumatic brain injury.