What is Acquired Brain Injury?

What is ABI?


Definition: Damage to the brain, which occurs after birth, as a result of a traumatic or non-traumatic event and is not related to a congenital or a degenerative disease and can result in temporary, prolonged or permanent impairments in cognitive, emotional, behavioural or physical functioning.

Acquired Brain Injury is not:

  • A degenerative condition like Parkinsons Disease, Alzheimers Disease, Huntingtons Disease or Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
  • A congenital condition like Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), prenatal illness, perinatal hypoxia.

Traumatic Brain Injury Damage to the brain, which occurs after birth, as a result of an external force (i.e. fall, motor vehicle crash, assault).

Non Traumatic Brain Injury

  • Damage to the brain as a result of: metabolic disruption (i.e. hypoglycemia);
  • Hypoxia and anoxia (i.e. oxygen loss due to near-drowning, strangulation, cardiac arrest, stroke);
  • Space occupying lesion (i.e. tumour, cyst, abscess, haematoma);
  • Toxins (i.e. lead, mercury, solvents, carbon monoxide);
  • Illness (i.e. meningitis, encephalitis)