Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is any type of sudden injury that causes temporary or permanent damage to the brain. ABI can be divided into two categories:
Traumatic: resulting from an external force applied to the head/brain (e.g., damage that is associated with some kind of trauma to the head, such as a concussion, a fall, or a motor vehicle collision is known as a traumatic brain injury.)
Non-Traumatic: resulting from an internal source that inflicts injury to the brain (e.g., anoxia [near drowning], toxicity, infection, or cerebral vascular accident [stroke]).
The following chart provides examples of the most common causes of ABI.
| Traumatic | |
| Blow to the head | – Motor vehicle accidents – Assault with an object – Shaken baby syndrome |
| Falling or tumbling | – Falling off a bicycle, tree, climbing equipment or furniture – Sports Injuries |
| Non-Traumatic | |
| Anoxic injuries (Lack of oxygen to the brain) | – Near drowning – Suffocation – Choking |
| Vascular injuries (Disruption in blood supply to the brain) |
– Stroke (blocked blood vessel in the brain) – Aneurysm (broken blood vessel in the brain) |
| Inhalation of ingestion of toxic substances | – Sniffing glue, paint, or carbon monoxide – Drug use |
| Infectious diseases | – Meningitis – Encephalitis |