What is Acquired Brain Injury?

Acquired brain injury (ABI) is another type of catastrophic brain damage. The other type is usually called “traumatic brain injury (TBI).” Both occur after birth. Therefore, the terms do not indicate genetic or congenital disorders. Likewise, they do not indicate hereditary, degenerative or brain damage that is induced by birth trauma. Thus, because Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, although common and by their nature progressive and degenerative, they are excluded from the definitions of ABI and TBI.

All traumatic brain injuries are head injuries. But a head injury is not necessarily the equivalent of brain injury. Yet, both disrupt the brain’s normal functioning. The following definitions are often used to differentiate between traumatic brain injuries and acquired brain injuries:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries are caused by an external force — such as a blow to the head — that causes the brain to move inside the skull or damages the skull. This, in turn, damages the brain.
• Acquired Brain Injuries occur at the cellular level. They are associated with pressure on the brain, such as that caused by a tumor. They can also result from a neurological condition such as a stroke or from an aneurysm, which is an abnormal bulging of an artery leading to the brain. Bursting of an aneurysm can result in devastating brain damage, requiring acute care, specialized post-acute rehabilitation. Other potential causes of ABI include anoxia: a total lack of oxygen to the brain, hypoxia: an insufficient amount of oxygen to the brain or one of several brain infections, including encephalitis.

Some brain injuries cause focal — or localized — brain damage. In other words, the damage is confined to a small area of the brain that controls a relatively small range of physical or cognitive functions. The result is that the physical or mental function that is affected is on a smaller scale or is within a smaller range. This is, nonetheless, a catastrophic injury for a NeuLife client. A customized Client Goal Plan consisting of rehabilitation, specialized rehabilitation, neurobehavioral and other clinically relevant services will be individually developed for the client with the goal of achieving the highest possible level of independence. And when possible, the client will participate in the development of his or her Client Goal Plan.

In contrast, some closed-head injuries cause diffuse brain damage, which means damage extending to several, or broad, areas of the brain. For example, if both sides of the brain are damaged and the nerves are stretched throughout the brain, diffuse axonal injury may result[1]. In these cases of difficult and challenging diagnoses, the NeuLife team of physicians, neurologists, therapists, RNs and others develop a Client Goal Plan to provide innovative post-acute rehabilitation to ensure the best possible and successful sustained outcomes.

The professionals at NeuLife, including its team of neurologists, RNs and therapists are expert in the provision of innovative, clinically relevant services, including the delivery of neurobehavioral and neurorehabilitative services. NeuLife’s goal is to provide post-acute rehabilitation to its clients to achieve the best possible outcome for its clients who have even the most difficult and challenging diagnoses.

NeuLife’s philosophy is that healing, wellness and personal fulfillment are best accomplished in a positive and uplifting therapeutic environment where caring staff encourage, assist and support each client so he or she may achieve specific goals. NeuLife believes personal fulfillment is equally as important as goals to increase function and independence. NeuLife seeks to achieve, for all of its clients, maximized, sustained outcomes that exceed the expectations of all persons served.

NeuLife, in Mount Dora, Florida, is a fully accessible residential post-acute program providing specialized rehabilitation to individuals diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic amputations and other catastrophic injuries.

2725 Robie Avenue

Mount Dora, Florida 32757

[1] http://www.webmd.com/brain/brain-damage-symptoms-causes-treatments