Brain injury
What is acquired brain injury?
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) refers to any damage that happens to the brain at any age after birth.
Damage to the brain can occur in many different ways through illness, such as dementia or a stroke, a heavy blow to the head, or by the head being forced to move rapidly forwards and backward, such as in a car accident or assault.
Brain injuries caused by a blow to the head or rapid force often result in a loss of consciousness; either short-term (less than 30 minutes) or long-term (hours, days or months), which is called a coma. The effects of brain injury can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent.
Common causes of brain injury
- Accidents such as car or sporting accident
- Assaults
- Falls
- Tumours
- Stroke and aneurysms
- Infections such as meningitis and encephalitis
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Interruption of oxygen supply to the brain during near drowning, heart attack or suffocation
- Neurological disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neuron Disease or dementia
Minor brain injury
Even minor brain injury can have a lasting impact. Sometimes the problems caused by minor brain damage are difficult to detect. For example, a person may feel less able to concentrate, they may be more forgetful or have more trouble making decisions. If you are unsure about whether you have a minor brain injury, ask your doctor for advice on the specialist testing available.
The hidden disability
Acquired brain injury is sometimes called the invisible or hidden disability because its effects are not easy to see or they are not recognised as ABI. The new ways of thinking, feeling and behaving are not as easy to recognise as other disabilities such as vision impairment or a loss of ability to walk. As a result, the challenges people with brain injury face are often misunderstood or ignored. For example, it can be easy to lose patience with someone whose brain injury causes them to be forgetful.
Common effects of brain injury
Acute Care
Conditions
Living with a brain injury
Carer health and wellbeing
Planning for the future
Rehabilitation
Glossary of terms
Key statistics
1 in 45
Australians affected by Brain Injury.
Every 4 minutes
someone in Australia is hospitalised for a head injury.
30%
of people who sustain a brain injury will be left with a significant and permanent disability.
Are you a person impacted by Brain Injury?
Access our services
Whether you are a person living with a brain injury, a caregiver supporting a family member or friend, we can assist you.
