Acquired Brain Injury Overview

Brain injury can occur as:

• sudden onset – due to trauma, infection, lack of oxygen (eg near drowning or suicide attempts), strokes or drug use
• slow or insidious onset – from prolonged alcohol or substance abuse, tumours or degenerative neurological diseases

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) refers to any type of brain damage that happens after birth. Causes of ABI include conditions such as MS, Parkinson’s Disease, cancer, AIDS and Alzheimer’s, physical injury due to blows to the head, alcohol and drug use, stroke or oxygen deprivation.

The long-term effects of brain injury vary from person to person and are difficult to predict; they can range from mild to profound.

Many people with ABI experience increased fatigue (mental and physical) and some slowing in how fast they process information, plan and solve problems. They may also experience changes in their behaviour and personality, physical and sensory abilities, or thinking and learning.

Read more at: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/acquired-brain-injury