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What is Brain Injury?

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What is Acquired Brain Injury?

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is damage to the brain which occurs after birth and is not related to a congenital disorder or a degenerative disease.

Acquired Brain Injury may be either temporary or ongoing and may cause partial or total functional disability or psychosocial difficulties.


Aquired Brain Injury

The most common cause of brain injury is a trauma to the head, such as in a motor vehicle crash, a fall, a violent assault, or an industrial accident. Other causes of brain injury include stroke, brain aneurysm, brain tumours, certain viruses, substance abuse, etc.

The brain is damaged by the collisions of the brain with the interior of the skull, as well as by rotational forces that occur within the brain tissue.


Sign pointing to "confused", "lost", "bewildered", etc.

The effects of brain injury may include deficits in the following areas:

  • Communication: deficits in speech, comprehension, reading, writing
  • Cognitive Abilities: reduction in arithmetic or reasoning skills, concentration, memory
  • Physical Functioning: visual deficits, headaches, balance problems, fatigue, poor coordination
  • Social/Behavioural Abilities: poor social awareness, emotional problems, impulsivity, reduced judgement, anger outbursts, depression, reduced motivation, isolation


Journey through forest

Some degree of recovery following a brain injury is common, but the extent of recovery is difficult to predict.

The Victoria Brain Injury Society has a multitude of programs to help people with an aquired brain injury along their journey as a survivor.

*For more information about brain injury, we recommend visiting www.brainstreams.ca.


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