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Acquired Brain Injuries

It is estimated that approximately 1.4 million Americans will be involved in an accident that results in an acquired brain injury (as of 2009). The most common causes of acquired brain injuries are falls, car crashes, pedestrian accidents and being the victim of an assault. Acquired brain injuries can strike any age or gender, but Walton Rehabilitation Health System reports that the people who are most at risk for these types of accidents are males between 15 and 24 years of age.

  1. What is an Acquired Brain Injury?

    • An acquired brain injury (ABI) is also referred to as a traumatic brain injury or TBI and is a brain injury that happens after the time of birth. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), an acquired brain injury can develop after a person's head is hit with great force that is either sudden, violent or both. An ABI can also result when an object breaks through the protection of the skull and punctures the delicate tissue of the brain.

    Types

    • The University of Virginia Health System reports that there are two different types of acquired brain injuries. The first type is referred to as a "closed" brain injury and the second a "penetrating" brain injury. A closed brain injury results when the brain is violently shaken within the skull. In this type of injury, the skull receives no fracture despite the possibility of impact. However, brain injuries that are considered "penetrating" do show signs of fracture that are usually the entrance and exit points of the object that causes the brain injury.

    Primary and Secondary Brain Injuries

    • Acquired brain injuries can also fall into two more categories that further define their characteristics. The Journal for Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences explains that a primary ABI is the direct result of an injury with no further damage occurring after the event. Secondary effects of an ABI continue to cause damage to the brain over a period of hours or even days after the original event.

    Symptoms

    • The symptoms of an acquired brain injury are numerous and are completely dependent on the type of injury and part of the brain that is affected. The duration of time that symptoms last and whether or not the injury causes permanent damage to the brain is also dependent on the severity of the injury. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), common symptoms that may follow an ABI are headaches, mood changes, nausea, blurred vision, hearing loss, ringing in the ears, fatigue, mood changes, sleep disturbances and dizziness. More severe cases of acquired brain injury may result in coma, motor skills impairment and cognitional, perceptual, functional and sensory deficits.

    Rehabilitation

    • The treatments that are necessary for an acquired brain injury are many, but the majority will involve some form of rehabilitation. According to Central Dupage Hospital, there are a variety of rehabilitation plans that are designed to help with the long-term and short-term treatment goals that have been detailed for ABI patients. Rehabilitation may include one or a combination of programs that include day treatment, independent living, and behavior, long-term and transitional programs. Acute and subacute rehabilitation programs are also a available for acquired brain injury patients.

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