Understanding concepts that are not related to the “here and now”, or that can not be easily seen or understood.
All tasks relating to daily life including personal care, meal preparation and domestic tasks such as cleaning and community tasks such as shopping.
Difficulty initiating activities or starting a task, gives the appearance of lethargy.
Observable emotion in a person and how they present.
Loss of the sense of taste.
Complete or partial loss of the ability to recognise objects.
Loss of the ability to write.
Loss of the ability to read including language, symbols and music.
The ability to walk.
Loss of the ability to remember (can be retrograde which is the loss of ability to remember past experiences or can be antero-grade which is the loss of ability to make new memories).
A balloon-like weakness on the wall of a vessel in the body that can burst. This includes blood vessels in the brain.
Loss of speech due to impairment of muscles caused by injury to brain area that controls the nerves supplying speech muscles.
Inability to recall the names of things.
Complete or partial loss of the sense of smell.
Lack of oxygen to tissue in part of the body such as the brain.
Loss of ability in understanding and/or expression of language.
Loss of the ability to perform and control purposeful movements while still having the ability to move and be aware of movement.
Degree of being wakeful and alert.
Food or fluid entering the lungs from the wind pipe.
Abnormal movements due to loss of coordination of the muscles.
Shrinking in size of a cell, tissue, organ, or part of the body.
Length of time one can concentrate on a task.
Related to hearing.
Involuntary words spoken without conscious thought such as a greeting or swearing.
Relating to both sides (of the body).
The brain is damaged within the skull cavity but the membranes covering the brain are intact.
Injury restricted to one region (as opposed to diffuse).
The skull and membranes are damaged and the brain itself may be exposed.
A foreign body enters the brain such as a splinter of metal or bullet.
Damage to the brain caused by an external force.
The lower extension of the brain where it connects to the spinal cord. The brain stem controls the functions necessary for survival such as breathing, heart rate and alertness.
A surgical drill hole made through the skull.
Working with a person to plan and coordinate the appropriate treatment, services and support.
A tube which is inserted into any body part to withdraw or introduce fluids.
Located at the base of the brain near the brain stem. The Cerebellum helps coordinate movement. Injury may result in ataxia.
Concerning the brain.
Neck area of the spinal column. Cervical injuries can result in quadriplegia.
An x-ray picture of the blood vessels inside the head. A drug which outlines these cerebral vessels is injected via an artery in the groin.
Liquid which fills the ventricles (or cavities) of the brain and surrounds the brain and spinal cord.
The blood vessels (the veins, arteries and capillaries) and circulation within the brain.
See Stroke.
The main part of the brain which sits in the upper part of the skull cavity.
The processes of thinking, reasoning, and understanding.
The state of not being responsive or able to be aroused. The person does not open their eyes, follow commands or speak.
Ability to understand.
A series of x-rays at different levels of the brain producing images of cross-sections of the brain.
The ability to maintain attention on a task without being distracted.
Taking things literally or being stuck in the “here and now” (see abstract thinking).
Temporary alteration of mental state that may or may not be associated with a loss of consciousness caused by trauma to the head.
Unconsciously making up information to give a fluent answer that may not relate to actual events.
Not able to orientate self to time, place and person (e.g. not being able to accurately give personal details such as age or name).
Bruising of the brain tissue on the side opposite where the blow was struck.
A shortening of tissues causing loss of movement and deformity of joint.
Bruising of the brain.
Surgical removal of the skull in small pieces.
Surgical removal of a sizeable piece of skull. In effect, a window made in the skull to allow access to the brain and its coverings.
Removal of the protective Myelin sheath around the nerves.
Injury to cells in many areas of the brain rather than in one specific location.
Tearing / shearing of nerve fibres throughout the brain, which is common after trauma.
Double vision.
Loss of the ability to inhibit responses and control what is said or done.
Not being aware, or being confused about time, place, person. May be some or all of these.
Inability to concentrate in the presence of distraction.
Difficulty speaking due to injury to the brain area that controls the nerves supplying the muscles for speech.
Difficulty with writing.
Difficulty in swallowing.
Difficulty in the comprehension and/or expression of language.
Difficulty with performing purposeful movements while still having the ability to move and be aware of movement.
Repetition of sounds or words said by others but without comprehension. This is a normal stage of language development in infants but is abnormal in adults.
EEG is a test used to record any changes in electrical activity of the brain by placing electrodes on the scalp. An EEG is used in the testing for epilepsy.
Something that blocks a blood vessel(can be air, fat, blood clot).
Inflammation of the brain. Can be caused by infection or disease.
A tube into the airway through the mouth or nose to allow air into lungs and help breathing.
There are many varied presentations.May involve uncontrolled movement involving parts of, or the complete body, or can involve a temporary lack of responsiveness. Also known as having seizures or fits.
High level brain functions that help us undertake goal directed activities.Examples of executive functions include planning, initiating, stopping or inhibiting inappropriate actions, monitoring ourselves.
Limpness caused by a lack of muscle tone.
Part of the brain at the front of the cerebrum. Frontal lobe is involved in planning, organising, problem solving, selective attention, personality and a variety of higher cognitive functions.
Walking style.
Standardised scoring system of best motor, speech and eye opening responses which is used to estimate severity of brain injury at the time of injury.
A collection or clot of blood.
Loss of sight in the same sides of both eyes. This can cause an inability to see things on the left or right side.
Weakness on one side of the body.
Paralysis of one side of the body.
Increasing pressure in the head due to enlargement of the ventricles from an abnormal increase of cerebrospinal fluid.
Lack of oxygen to tissue in part of the body such as the brain.
A tendency to rush into something without reflecting or thinking first.
The ability to control and inhibit inappropriate speech or actions.
Inability to control bladder and/or bowel function.
An area of brain cells which have died as a result of a loss of blood supply.
The ability to begin an activity without external prompting.
Blood clot in the brain.
The pressure inside the skull.
When the blood supply to tissues is reduced or absent.
Fluctuating emotional responses.
When a person is completely paralysed but is able to understand and able to receive sensory input.
A scan of the brain using radio-frequency waves and magnetic fields instead of Xray. It enables detailed pictures of the brain to be acquired using a non invasive procedure.
Collecting and storing information and the ability to retrieve it.
The desire to achieve something and to be able to follow it through.
Not being aware of part of the body, often one side of the body (hemineglect) usually the left side.
A nerve cell. (the plural term is Neurones / Neurons)
The study of the nervous system.
The study of the relationship between the brain and behaviour.
Provides detailed information about how a brain injury changes the way your brain works by looking at changes to memory and thinking skills.
The region at the back of the brain which processes visual information.
Increased water content in the brain, causing brain swelling.
Areas on the both sides of the brain, behind the frontal lobe and above the temporal lobes at the top of the brain. Important in receiving and interpreting sensory input.
The ability to make sense of information from each and all of the senses.
Getting stuck on a word, an idea or an activity and not being able to move on from it.
An abnormal sensitivity to light.
The period after being in a coma when there is confused behaviour and no continuous memory of day to day events.
Before the illness or injury occurred.
Expected outcome of an injury or disease.
Sensory awareness of the position of body parts with or without movement.
Not able to remember information which occurred before the injury or disease.
Not able to adjust your thoughts or actions in response to changes in the environment.
Involuntary muscle movement or behaviour as a result of abnormal nerve cell activity in the brain.
Being able to do something in the appropriate order.
A surgically placed tube running from the ventricles of the brain, which takes excess fluid away from the brain and drains it off into the abdomen, heart or veins in the neck.
An involuntary increase in muscle tone (tension).
The ability to find your way around and or know where things are in space.
Healing that occurs regardless of treatment.
Interruption to the blood supply to the brain through blockage or rupture of a blood vessel, causing cell damage or death that leads to loss of function of the affected part.
Layer between the outer protective covering of the brain (Dura) and the middle layer of the meninges (Arachnoid).
One on each side of the brain located at about the level of the ears. The temporal lobe is involved in hearing, speech, comprehension, naming, visual processing, memory function, spatial awareness.
Ringing in the ears.
A breathing tube inserted through the middle of the neck just below the voice box so that air can get into the lungs.
A residential program teaching living skills which provides a transition between hospital and home
Involuntary rhythmical movements that increase when resting.
Involuntary rhythmical movements that occur when you attempt to move intentionally.
State which occurs following very severe brain injury in which the person shows a lack of responsiveness and cognitive ability despite appearing to be awake.
A machine that does the breathing work for people who are not capable of breathing independently.
Cavities (spaces) inside the brain which contain cerebrospinal fluid.
Excessive talking.