Traumatic Brain Injury: Severity, Consequences, and Recovery

Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)

Widespread damage to nerve fibers (axons) caused by stretching and shearing forces when the brain moves rapidly within the skull, common in closed head injuries.

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)

A standardized 15-point scale used to assess the level of consciousness in acutely brain-injured patients, evaluating motor responses, verbal responses, and eye-opening.

Posttraumatic Amnesia (PTA)

A state of confusion and disorientation following a brain injury during which the individual is unable to form new memories. The duration of PTA is often used as an indicator of injury severity.

Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS)

A five-level scale used by neurologists and neurosurgeons to assess the global outcome of patients with brain injury (good recovery, moderate disability, severe disability, persistent vegetative state, and death).

Executive Functions

Higher-level cognitive processes, largely mediated by the frontal lobes, that control and regulate other abilities and behaviors, including planning, initiation, problem-solving, and cognitive flexibility.

Postconcussional Syndrome (PCS)

A constellation of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms that can persist for weeks, months, or even years after a mild traumatic brain injury.

Coup Injury

Brain damage that occurs at the site of impact when the head is struck.

Contre-coup Injury

Brain damage that occurs on the opposite side of the head from the point of impact, resulting from the brain accelerating and hitting the skull.

Intracranial Pressure (ICP)

The pressure inside the skull. Elevated ICP can be a dangerous complication of severe TBI, potentially leading to further brain damage.

Neuropsychological Assessment

A comprehensive evaluation of cognitive functions (such as attention, memory, language, and executive functions) and sometimes emotional and behavioral functioning, often used to understand the effects of brain injury.

Symptom Validity Testing (SVT)

Procedures used within neuropsychological assessments to evaluate whether an individual's reported symptoms and test performance are likely to be valid and reliable, or influenced by factors such as lack of effort or exaggeration.

Mental Fatigue

A state of excessive tiredness or lack of energy, often experienced as a significant and persistent symptom following both mild and severe TBI, impacting cognitive function and daily activities.

Passive Coping

A maladaptive style of dealing with stress characterized by avoidance, denial, focusing on negative emotions, and a lack of active problem-solving.