Terms related to Traumatic Brain Injury

contusion

bruising of the brain tissue; small capillaries are damaged by trauma and leak blood

Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)

Nerve axon damage that is caused by areas of varying density (gray matter-cell bodies vs. white matter-axons) sliding over each other at different speeds as the brain moves; axons are stretched and may tear from their cell bodies

diffuse brain injury

when damage occurs in multiple areas of the brain

focal brain injury

when damage occurs in a specific area of the brain

open head injury

trauma in which the skull is penetrated or fractured, meninges might be compromised and the brain tissue might be exposed

closed head injury

trauma in which the skull remains intact; damaged is caused by movement of the brain within the skull

concussion (mTBI)

Mild physical (axonal injury or contusions) and chemical changes (changes in how the cells operate) in the brain caused by the brain moving in the skull

coma

a deep prolonged state of unconsciousness that could be caused by severe TBI (arousal centers of the brain have shut down); it can also be "medically induced".

medically induced coma

aka drug-induced coma; medications are given that temporarily shut down electrical and metabolic processes in the brain to minimize the swelling and inflammation of the brain

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

Degenerative brain disease caused by repeated brain injuries (particularly concussions); clumps of Tau protein from injured neurons destroys other neurons in the area.

Post Concussive Syndrome (PCS)

A condition in which the symptoms of concussion such as headaches and dizziness persist past 3 months after the concussion.

coup-contrecoup injury

Dual impacting of the brain into the skull; coup injury occurs at the point of impact; contrecoup injury occurs on the opposite side of impact, as the brain rebounds.