Acquired Brain Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Lecture

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on Acquired Brain Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)

Damage to the brain occurring after birth, not due to congenital or degenerative diseases.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Disruption of brain structure/function from biomechanical forces or external mechanical force, often leading to loss of consciousness, amnesia, and neurological signs.

Concussion

An injury to the brain resulting from a blow to the head or rapid back-and-forth movement of the head without typically causing loss of consciousness.

Epidemiology of TBI

Study of incident rates of TBI, showing higher rates in children, adolescents, and elderly due to falls and violence.

Mechanism of Injury: Falls

Most common cause of brain injury, affecting children and older adults, often associated with balance and vision issues.

Primary Brain Injury

Injury occurring at the time of trauma, resulting from mechanisms like direct impact or rapid acceleration/deceleration.

Secondary Brain Injury

Injury that develops days to weeks after the primary injury as a consequence of the initial damage.

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)

A clinical scale used to assess the level of consciousness in a person following a TBI, with scores ranging from 3 (unresponsive) to 15 (fully responsive).

Clinical Presentation of TBI

The manifestation of symptoms, severity of which is crucial for predicting outcomes; includes cognitive, physical, and psychosocial factors.

Cognitive Deficits

Problems arising from brain injury that may affect attention, memory, processing information, and executive functions.