BRAIN INJURY 101
Glossary for Common Brain Injury Terms
For a full list of terms related to brain injury, please visit the Brain Injury Society of Toronto website:
Types of Brain Injury
An Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is an injury that occurs any time after birth which disrupts the normal functioning of the brain.
There are two basic kinds of Acquired Brain Injuries: Traumatic and Non-Traumatic.
Common Challenges and Tools to Help
The brain is known to be very complex and an important organ that makes up who you are. Any damage that occurs to the brain will impact how it functions and performs. Brain injuries can change the way the brain functions and it can impact everyone differently. There are many challenges that come with having a brain injury which can include headaches, anxiety, social isolation, difficulty concentrating and much more. Many of the challenges associated with brain
injuries include physical changes, emotional and behavioural changes along with cognitive changes. OBIA has created a great resource that explains each of these challenges in depth.
Concurrent Disorders
A concurrent disorder is when symptoms of two or more disorders are present in the same person at the same time. In brain injury, the term concurrent disorder is used for situations where a person has a neurological disorder (brain injury) in addition to either a mental illness, substance use disorder or both.
Substance Use and Brain Injury
There is significant research to indicate an overlap of brain injury, substance use and criminal behaviour. These factors should be taken into account when assisting someone with a brain injury navigate the justice system.
