What is Brain Injury?
Brain injury has been called the "silent epidemic" since most people don't know about brain injury, let alone its consequences or how it affects people.
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is defined as an injury to the brain which is not hereditary, congenital or degenerative that has occurred after birth. Causes of ABI include external forces applied to the head and or neck (traumatic brain injury), anoxic/hypoxic injury (cardiac arrest, carbon monoxide poisoning, airway obstruction, hemorrhage, drowning), intracranial surgery, infectious diseases, seizure disorders, toxic exposure (substance abuse, ingestion of lead and inhalation of volatile agents) aneurysms, and vascular obstruction (stroke).
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is defined as an insult to the brain, not of degenerative or congenital nature, caused by an external physical force that may produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness, which results in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning. It can also result in the disturbance of behavioral or emotional functioning. Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability in children and young adults. Shaken Baby Syndrome is a form of traumatic brain injury.
Among all types of injury, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is most likely to cause death or permanent disability.
Levels of Brain Injury
Mild
A mild brain injury is also known as a concussion.
Brief (less than 15 minutes) or NO loss of consciousness.
A dazed, vacant stare right after the injury.
Testing and scans may appear normal.
Symptoms may not appear until later. "Post concussive syndrome" can include temporary headaches, dizzines, mild mental slowing and fatigue. Symptoms of mild brain injury usually improve over 1-3 months.
Moderate
A moderate brain injury is one that results in a loss of consciousness that can last minutes or a few hours and is followed by a few days or weeks of confusion.
Physical, cognitive, and/or behavioral impairments may last for months or be permanent.
Severe
Severe brain injury almost always results in prolonged unconsciousness or coma lasting days, weeks, or months.
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