Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
ABI is an injury to the brain that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma. Essentially, this type of brain injury is one that has occurred after birth. The injury results in a change to the brain’s neuronal activity, which affects the physical integrity, metabolic activity, or functional ability of nerve cells in the brain. An acquired brain injury is the umbrella term for all brain injuries.
There are two types of Acquired Brain Injury:
Traumatic and Non-Traumatic.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
TBI is defined as an alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force. Traumatic impact injuries can be defined as closed (or non-penetrating) or open (penetrating). Some examples of a TBI include:
Falls
Assaults
Motor vehicle accidents
Sports injuries
Non-Traumatic Brain Injury (nTBI)
nTBI causes damage to the brain by internal factors, such as a lack of oxygen, exposure to toxins, pressure from a tumor, etc. Some examples of nTBI include:
Stroke
Near-drowning
Aneurysm
Tumor
Infectious disease that affects the brain (i.e., meningitis)
Lack of oxygen supply to the brain (anoxia or hypoxia)
