TBI general information

An acquired brain injury (ABI) is defined as ‘any trauma to the head which disrupts the function of the brain’ (NICE 2007). It may involve the scalp, the skull, the brain or its protective membranes.

Acquired brain injury (ABI) can be grouped into two main types, according to cause:

Traumatic Brain injury (TBI) results from an impact to the head, e.g. from a car accident or a fall. Traumatic brain injury, also referred to as ‘head injury’, results from an outside force and subsequent complications, which can follow and further damage the brain. These include a lack of oxygen, rising pressure, and swelling within the brain.

Non-traumatic these are events going on inside the body, such as:

1. strokes and other vascular accidents

2. tumours

3. infectious diseases

4. hypoxia

5. metabolic disorders, e.g. liver and kidney diseases or diabetic coma

6. toxic products taken into the body through inhalation or ingestion.

More detailed information on ABI can be found at the Headway website: www.headway.org.uk