Acquired Brain Impairment is the name given to damage done to the brain which has happened sometime after birth. Acquired Brain Impairment is not something we are born with, nor is it the same as an intellectual disability, a psychiatric illness or dementia.

Certain things cause Acquired Brain Impairment. These causes are listed below with a brief description of how they result in Acquired Brain Impairment.

Head injury (car accident, falling over, assault)

The head is hit or forced to move quickly backwards and forwards. The tissue of the brain may be torn, stretched, cut, bruised or swollen.

Alcohol & drug abuse

Alcohol is a poison to the brain. It destroys brain cells. In addition, drinking and using drugs places people at risk of head injuries through accidents and fights.

Stroke

During a stroke the blood vessels in the brain become blocked or they can burst causing damage to the brain.

Infections (meningitis, HIV)

These viruses can infect and attack brain cells, which may lead to brain damage.

Tumours

Tumours can cause brain cells to die, or they can squash the brain.

Lack of oxygen (near drowning, drug overdoses)

The brain needs oxygen to function properly - if the oxygen supply is stopped, the brain can be damaged.

What Acquired Brain Impairment can do

Brain Injury can lead to cognitive impairment. This means it can cause problems with the way we think and remember things. It can also affect the way we feel, behave and how we get along with people.

The kind of cognitive difficulties a person may have because of Acquired Brain Impairment can be so serious that they may need someone to look after them either in hospital or in a special accommodation home. It can also be be far less serious so a person may only suffer from some memory problems and they can continue doing their usual activities with minor adjustments. The words often used to describe the degree of cognitive impairment a person suffers because of Acquired Brain Impairment are - mild (less serious), moderate and severe (most serious).

Acquired Brain Impairment can cause physical problems too. It can affect co-ordination, which is the way we control our body's movement, and it can cause paralysis, that is no movement in parts of the body. This can happen because of alcohol use or when a person has had a stroke.

Acquired Brain Impairment is a disability

How badly a person is affected by Acquired Brain Impairment will depend on the parts of the brain damaged. This is because the brain is made up of different sections and each section controls a different aspect of what the body does. For example, if the front part of the brain is damaged, we can have problems with our memory and thinking straight. If the back of the brain is damaged, we can have problems with vision, balance and the way we walk.

This means that an Acquired Brain Impairment will change the way we can do things in our daily life - for example, how we hold down a job, look after our family and relate to other people.

Acquired Brain Impairment is sometimes called the 'Invisible Disability'. This is because most of the problems caused by Acquired Brain Impairment, such as thinking and memory impairment, are not as easy to see as those caused by physical disability. Because of this, people who have Acquired Brain Impairment are sometimes misunderstood and not treated fairly.

How can you tell if someone has Acquired Brain Impairment

It is often hard to know whether someone has Acquired Brain Impairment, especially if the injury to the brain is mild. The difficulties that are experienced by people who have mild cognitive impairment, such as problems with thinking and memory, can often go unnoticed by the people around them. Sometimes people who have mild cognitive impairment can cover up their problems, especially when they don't have to use their short-term memory or problem solving skills. This is why Acquired Brain Impairment is called the 'Invisible Disability' because often the person themselves, their family and friends and even health professionals don't have a good understanding of what is really going on.

The following is a list of some possible symptoms of Acquired Brain Impairment. These symptoms can be confused with other problems such as mental illness, or even just annoying personality characteristics. Some of the physical problems that are caused by Acquired Brain Impairment can also be confused with symptoms of other illnesses. For example, people who suffer from Alcohol Related Brain Impairment can experience blurred vision and numbness in their hands and feet. These are also symptoms of diabetes. Because of this, a careful assessment needs to be done to decide whether a person has Acquired Brain Impairment or some other problem.

Symptoms of Acquired Brain Impairment

Clues about Acquired Brain Impairment can be gathered by looking at the person's mood, how they behave and how they cope with day-to-day life. Often people who have mild to moderate cognitive impairment experience more problems when things around them change - for example, moving house or last minute change in plans.

It is in these situations that symptoms of Acquired Brain Impairment may be easier to recognise. The following gives some examples of symptoms of mild to moderate cognitive impairment.

Mood Changes

The person may go from feeling OK to feeling anxious, upset or depressed even in a short space of time.

Behaviour

The person may be difficult to get along with, they may be suspicious or paranoid (thinking that people are out to get them). They may act inappropriately - that is, act in ways that don't suit the situation. For example, they may make sexual comments to strangers in the street.

Problems with Communication

The person might say the same things or tell the same stories over again. They may also have trouble concentrating on what someone is telling them.

Problems with Short Term Memory

The person may forget to pay bills, forget what they need to get at the shops, miss appointments or forget to pick up the kids.

Confabulation

This means the person may make up stories about the past, as a way of trying to build some memory of what has happened.

Confusion & Disorientation

The person may forget or not know where they are, even if they are at home or in familiar surroundings.

The best way of establishing whether or not someone has an Acquired Brain Impairment is for them to undergo what is called a neuropsychological assessment. A neuropsychological assessment will be done by a psychologist who is qualified to diagnose (in other words to decide) whether a person has a brain impairment and whether that person suffers from cognitive impairment. Neuropsychological assessment will also recommend ways in which a person and their families can adjust to and cope with acquired brain impairment.