Acquired Brain Injury
While a brain injury refers to any damage or injury occurring in the brain, acquired brain injury (ABI) is the term designated to any damage to the brain that occurs after birth. This type of brain injury can be either traumatic or non-traumatic, or due to an external or internal cause. As the Brain Injury Association of America clarifies, this type of injury can be caused by cerebral vascular accidents (commonly known as stroke), or loss of oxygen to the brain (hypoxic brain injury). An acquired brain injury, such as a brain tumor or stroke/aneurysm, can leave you with debilitating physical, cognitive, emotional, or psychological symptoms such as headaches, memory loss, fatigue, and depression.