Brain injury
| Brain injury | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Brain damage, neurotrauma |
| A CT of the head years after a traumatic brain injury showing an empty space where the damage occurred, marked by the yellow arrow in the bottom left | |
| Specialty | Neurology, Psychiatry |
| Symptoms | Depending on brain area injured |
| Types | Acquired brain injury (ABI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), focal or diffuse, primary and secondary |
Brain injury is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells, which can impair brain functions. Brain injuries can result from external trauma, such as accidents, falls, or internal factors, such as stroke, infection, or metabolic disorders. In general, brain damage refers to significant, undiscriminating trauma-induced damage.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the most common type of brain injuries, typically caused by external physical trauma or head injuries.[1] Acquired brain injury refers to injuries occurring after birth, in contrast to genetic or congenital brain injuries.[2]
In addition, brain injuries can be classified by timing: primary injuries occur at the moment of trauma, while secondary injuries develop afterward due to physiological responses. They can also be categorized by location: focal injuries affect specific areas, whereas diffuse injuries involve widespread brain regions.[3]
The brain can partially recover function through neuroplasticity, forming new neural connections to compensate for damaged areas. This helps restore some lost abilities, like movement or speech, especially with therapy and practice.[1]
- ^ a b Ginsburg J, Smith T (17 February 2025). "Traumatic brain injury". StatPearls, US National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
- ^ "What is an Acquired Brain Injury?" (PDF). Headway. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ Ng SY, Lee AY (27 November 2019). "Traumatic Brain Injuries: Pathophysiology and Potential Therapeutic Targets". Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 13 528. doi:10.3389/fncel.2019.00528. ISSN 1662-5102. PMC 6890857. PMID 31827423.