Acquired brain injury

Acquired brain injury (ABI) is brain damage caused by events after birth, rather than as part of a genetic or congenital disorder such as fetal alcohol syndrome, perinatal illness or perinatal hypoxia.^[1] ABI can result in cognitive, physical, emotional, or behavioural impairments that lead to permanent or temporary changes in functioning.^[1] These impairments result from either traumatic brain injury (e.g. physical trauma due to accidents, assaults, neurosurgery, head injury etc.) or nontraumatic injury derived from either an internal or external source (e.g. stroke, brain tumours, infection, poisoning, hypoxia, ischemia, encephalopathy or substance abuse).^[1] ABI does not include damage to the brain resulting from neurodegenerative disorders.^[1]

Acquired brain injury

Neurology

While research has demonstrated that thinking and behavior may be altered in virtually all forms of ABI, brain injury is itself a very complex phenomenon having dramatically varied effects.^[2] No two persons can expect the same outcome or resulting difficulties.^[2] The brain controls every part of human life: physical, intellectual, behavioral, social and emotional. When the brain is damaged, some part of a person's life will be adversely affected.^[2]

Consequences of ABI often require a major life adjustment around the person's new circumstances, and making that adjustment is a critical factor in recovery and rehabilitation.^[2] While the outcome of a given injury depends largely upon the nature and severity of the injury itself, appropriate treatment plays a vital role in determining the level of recovery.

Special population[edit]

Children[edit]

In children and youth with pediatric acquired brain injury the cognitive and emotional difficulties that stem from their injury can negatively impact their level of participation in home, school and other social situations,^[17] participation in structured events has been found to be especially hindered under these circumstances.^[17] Involvement in social situations is important for the normal development of children as a means of gaining an understanding of how to effectively work together with others.^[17] Furthermore, young people with ABI are often reported as having insufficient problem solving skills.^[18] This has the potential to hinder their performance in various academic and social settings further.^[18] It is important for rehabilitation programs to deal with these challenges specific to children who have not fully developed at the time of their injury.^[17]

's case of traumatic brain injury that greatly stimulated discussion on brain function and physiology

Phineas Gage

formerly known as patient H.M., underwent neurosurgery to remove scar tissue in his brain that was causing debilitating epileptic seizures, neurosurgeon William Beecher Scoville performed the surgery which created bilateral lesions near the hippocampus.^[19] These lesions helped remove symptoms of the epilepsy in Molaison but resulted in anterograde amnesia.^[19] Molaison has been studied by hundreds of researchers since this time, most notably Brenda Milner, and has been greatly influential in the study of memory and the brain.^[19]

Henry Molaison

injured in the Battle of Smolensk, bullet entered his left parieto-occipital area and resulted in a long coma. Following this, he developed a form of agnosia and became unable to perceive the right side of things.

Zasetsky

There have been many popularized cases of various forms of ABI such as:

World Federation of Neurorehabilitation

United Kingdom Acquired Brain Injury Forum

Archived 2020-10-05 at the Wayback Machine

Acquired brain injury