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- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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TBI Terminology
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AAC / augmentative and alternative communication – a collection of communication strategies and options to assist persons who cannot meet their communication needs through natural speech Absence seizure / petit mal seizure – a generalized seizure with a disruption of consciousness for a few seconds and no motor component Acalculia – an acquired deficit that limits performance of basic arithmetic computations Activities of daily living / ADL – refers to functional skills such as dressing, grooming, and feeding oneself that are necessary for independent living Acute cerebral swelling – increased blood flow to the brain occurring because of elevated blood pressure or excessive dilation of cerebral vasculature and resulting in increased blood volume within the cranium; causes brain damage ADL / activities of daily living – refers to functional skills such as dressing, grooming, and feeding oneself that are necessary for independent living Agnosia – literally means, "not to know"; usually preceded by an adjective (e.g., visual agnosia, auditory agnosia, verbal agnosia, etc.) specifying the sensory modality through which the person can not assign meaning to information--example: A person with auditory agnosia has intact hearing but can not assign meaning to the sounds that he/she hears Alexia – an acquired reading deficit Alexia with agraphia – an acquired reading deficit that is accompanied by problems with writing Alexia without agraphia – an acquired reading deficit in which the person retains the ability to write Aneurysm – the ballooning out of a weakened portion of a blood vessel that is in danger of rupturing Angiogram – a diagnostic medical procedure in which a contrastive medium is injected into the blood stream to allow visualization of the blood vessels that supply the brain Anomia – an inability to recall the names of common objects Anoxia – lack of oxygen to the brain Anterior – toward the front Anterograde amnesia – a memory deficit in which a person cannot form new memories or learn new information subsequent to a traumatic injury Aphasia – an acquired language disorder Apraxia of speech / verbal apraxia – an acquired speech disorder in which the person can produce the sounds of speech but often rearranges the order of sounds in a word Arachnoid mater – the middle of three coverings of the brain Ataxia – a disturbance of muscular coordination due to cerebellar damage and characterized by impaired balance, tremors, and difficulties judging distances and strengths of movements Athetosis – an involuntary movement disorder characterized by slow, irregular, writhing, or squirming movements of the extremities, face, neck or trunk Atrophy – shrinkage of muscle mass or brain tissue due to degeneration Augmentative and alternative communication / AAC – a collection of communication strategies and options to assist persons who cannot meet their communication needs through natural speech
Broca's aphasia – an acquired language disorder due to damage in Broca's area and characterized by non-fluent, effortful speech Broca's area – an area in the frontal lobe of the dominant hemisphere that is important for speech and language
Cavitation – the formation of gaseous bubbles in a liquid because of the impact of a swiftly moving object; brain damage occurs when gaseous bubbles form within brain cells and then burst as they return to a liquid state Cerebellum – a part of the brain located beneath the cerebral hemispheres that deals with muscle coordination, maintenance of muscle tone, and balance for activities such as walking and writing Cerebral edema – increased water content within the brain that can cause brain damage Cerebral hemispheres – right and left halves of the brain that contain the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes; connected to one another by the corpus callosum Cerebrum – the brain Chorea – a movement disorder caused by damage to the extrapyramidal system and characterized by quick, random, involuntary movements Circumlocution – an evasive type of speech in which several words are used to express an idea that could be said with a single word Cognitive rehabilitation / remediation – intervention focusing on restoring any type of cognitive function (e.g., memory, attention, arousal, visual perception, hypothesis formation, initiation, problem solving, etc.) Coma – a period of impaired consciousness in which the person does not follow commands, has difficulty maintaining arousal, and shows minimal or no awareness of the environment and interaction with others; the duration of coma is often used as a prognostic indicator of eventual recovery Compensatory device – strategy or external aid that is deliberately used to achieve a goal that is difficult to attain because of impaired functioning Complex partial seizure / partial complex seizure – a partial seizure in which there is a loss of consciousness Computerized axial tomography / CT scan / CAT scan – a type of two-dimensional x-ray imaging of the brain Concussion – condition in which there is impaired brain function due to a violent blow or impact to the head Confabulation – fabrication of events or experiences; often occurs as a result of memory impairment; giving answers or reciting experiences without regard for the truth Contractures – a chronic tightening of muscles that causes the limbs to assume contorted, flexed postures Contralateral – on the opposite side of the body from a reference point Contrecoup injury – lesion of the brain at the site directly opposite the point of impact Contusion – bruise Convergent thinking – determining relevant information to identify a main theme; for example, identifying what objects or situations have in common Corpus callosum – a bundle of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain Cortex – the outer surface of the brain Coup injury – lesion of the brain at the site of impact Cranial nerves – nerves that innervate the muscles of the head and neck and allow for the sensation of vision, hearing, taste, and smell Craniotomy – a surgical procedure in which the skull is opened to expose the brain CT scan / CAT scan / computerized axial tomography – a type of two-dimensional x-ray imaging of the brain Cytotoxic edema – increased water content within the brain resulting from cell damage that increases the attraction of water to brain cell interiors; the resultant increased intracranial volume can contribute to brain damage
Deductive reasoning – drawing conclusions based on global information; whole to part analysis Deglutition – swallowing Dendrites – the treelike fibers of a neuron that reach out toward other nerve cells Denervation – the cutting of nerves Depressed skull fracture – a break in the bones of the skull in which there is a visible indentation Diadochokineses – rapid alternating movements such as those that occur during the rapid and repeated production of the word "buttercup" Dichotic listening – simultaneous presentation of two different auditory signals, one to each ear Diffuse damage – damage to multiple regions of the brain Diplopia – double vision Disinhibition – a lack of normal inhibition that contributes to many maladaptive characteristics of brain injury survivors such as carelessness in hygiene and dress, use of inappropriate words or gestures, and excessive talkativeness Disorientation – a lack of awareness of or confusion about time, place, and/or personal information Divergent thinking – generation of unique ideas; the ability to relate one's knowledge to new ways of addressing problems of situations Divided attention – the ability to maintain attention to two or more tasks simultaneously Dominant hemisphere – the hemisphere of the brain that performs language functions; the left hemisphere is dominant in approximately 90% of right-handed individuals and 60% of left-handed individuals Dura mater – the outermost membrane covering of the brain Dysarthria – a speech disorder in which the person has weakness or incoordination in the musculature used for speech production (e.g., the musculature of the lips, tongue, jaw, neck, larynx, or diaphragm) Dyskinesia – a movement disorder associated with lesions in the extrapyramidal system Dysmetria – an inability to judge the distance, power, or speed of a movement Dysphagia – swallowing difficulty Dysprosody – a disruption in the stress, timing, or melodic line of speech
Edema – swelling Electroencephalogram / EEG – a graphic display of the brain's electrical activity; often used to detect seizure activity Emotional lability / lability – poor control of the emotions such that laughing or crying is disproportionate to precipitating events Epidural hematoma – a collection of spilled blood between the skull and dura mater; also called an extradural hematoma Etiology – the cause of a disorder or disease Evacuation of a hematoma – a surgical procedure in which the spilled blood of a hematoma is drained Executive functions – skills involved in anticipating, setting goals, planning, self-regulating, incorporating feedback, and completing an intended activity Extradural hematoma – a collection of spilled blood between the skull and dura mater; also called an epidural hematoma Extrapyramidal system – a motor system of the brain that indirectly controls muscle movements
Fasciculation – twitching of muscle fibers Flaccid – decreased muscle tone; flabby or limp muscles Flat affect – decreased use of facial expressions or gestures to communicate emotions, attitudes, and responses Flexibility of thought – the ability to shift from one idea hypothesis, framework, or perspective to another; opposite of rigidity of thought Focal damage – damage limited to one region of the brain Focal seizure / partial seizure – a seizure in which there is electrical firing in a specific region of the brain Focused attention – the ability to maintain alertness to and interact with the environment on a rudimentary level Frontal lobe – a part of the brain important for personality, producing speech, processing language, initiating activities, and moving body parts Full scale IQ – an intelligence score based on a person's overall performance on all parts of the test
Gastrostomy tube – a tube that is surgically inserted into the stomach and used for feeding Generalized seizure – a seizure that spreads throughout the cerebral cortex and almost invariably involves a total loss of consciousness Glasgow coma scale – a standardized system for rating the severity of impaired consciousness; typically administered to a head injury survivor upon admission to the emergency room; often used as a prognostic indicator of long-term outcome Grand mal seizure / tonic-clonic seizure – a seizure in which the person experiences 10-30 seconds of tonic movements with marked extension or flexion of muscles and 15-60 seconds of clonic movements with rhythmic muscle group shaking; generally followed by headache, sleepiness, and confusion Gustatory – related to the sense of taste
Hematoma – a localized pool of blood found outside the circulatory system Hemianopsia – loss of vision in one half of the visual field of each eye Hemiparesis – weakness or partial paralysis on one side of the body Hemiplegia – paralysis on one side of the body Hemorrhage – uncontrolled bleeding Hydrocephalus – an abnormally large amount of fluid in the ventricular system of the brain Hypertonia – excessive tension in the muscles Hypotonia – decreased muscle tone; flaccidity Hypoxia – reduced oxygen to the brain
ICU – intensive care unit Inductive reasoning – drawing conclusions given parts of information; part to whole analysis Infarction – a region of damaged tissue resulting from a decrease of oxygenated blood Inferior – below Intracranial hematoma – a collection of spilled blood within the tissues of the brain Intracranial pressure – the pressure of contents within the skull; a sharp, uncontrollable rise in intracranial pressure can cause brain damage or death Ispsilateral – on the same side of the body as a reference point Ischemia – a reduction in blood flow to a specific region
Jargon – speech comprised largely of nonsense words
Lability / emotional lability – poor control of the emotions such that laughing or crying is disproportionate to precipitating events Lacrimal – related to tearing of the eyes Lateral – to the side Limbic system – neural structures deep within the brain that are responsible for controlling memory functions and regulating emotional responses; includes the hippocampus, amygdala, septum, cingulate gyrus, and anterior thalamus
Magnetic resonance imaging / MRI scan – a type of brain imaging that utilizes magnetic fields Mastication – chewing of food Medial – toward the middle Meninges – coverings of the brain--dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater Mnemonic devices – strategies for enhancing memory skills MRI scan / magnetic resonance imaging – a type of brain imaging that utilizes magnetic fields MVA – motor vehicle accident
Nasogastric tube – a tube inserted through the nose into the stomach and used for feeding Neologism – a meaningless, made-up word Neuron – a nerve cell Neurotransmitter – any one of numerous chemicals that modify or result in the transmission of nerve impulses between synapses Neuropsychology – a branch of psychology that deals with the assessment of cognitive functions, such as memory and perception, and attempts to determine the site and mechanism of damage responsible for changes in cognitive functions Nystagmus – rhythmic movement of the eye in a vertical, horizontal, or rotary direction
Occipital lobe – a part of the brain important for processing visual information Olfactory – related to the sense of smell Oral apraxia – an inability to sequence oral muscle movements in imitation of others or on command (normal spontaneous oral movements typically occur during eating, swallowing, yawning, sucking, blowing, etc.)
Paraphasic errors – errors in speech or language production in which words either contain extraneous sounds, deleted sounds, or mis-sequenced sounds or are substituted for other words Paraplegia – paralysis of both lower extremities Paresis – partial paralysis Parietal lobe – a part of the brain important for interpreting sensory information about body movement, pain, temperature, and proprioception Partial complex seizure / complex partial seizure – a partial seizure in which there is a loss of consciousness Partial seizure / focal seizure – a seizure in which there is electrical firing in a specific region of the brain Partial simple seizure / simple partial seizure – a partial seizure in which there is no disturbance of consciousness Performance IQ – an intelligence score based on a person's performance on subtests of the Wechsler intelligence test (WAIS-R, WISC-III, WPPSI-R) such as picture arrangement, block design, object assembly, and digit symbol, coding, and mazes; provides an indication of perceptual organization and visual processing Perseveration – a motor or verbal response that is inappropriately repeated over and over Persistent vegetative state – a condition in which a head injury survivor remains unresponsive for an extended period of time PET scan / position emission tomography – a type of brain imaging that shows how much and what parts of the brain are metabolizing glucose during the performance of various types of activities Petit mal seizure / absence seizure – a generalized seizure with a disruption of consciousness for a few seconds and no motor component Physiatrist – a physician who specializes in rehabilitation medicine Pia mater – the innermost covering of the brain Posterior – toward the back Postmorbid – after the time of injury Post-traumatic epilepsy – a seizure disorder that results from traumatic brain injury Premorbid – before the injury Primary mechanisms of injury – injuries that occur at the actual time of trauma Proprioception – awareness of the location of body parts in space and in relation to one another Prosopagnosia – an inability to recognize faces of familiar people PTA / post-traumatic amnesia – a period of confusion extending from the time of injury until the individual can recall daily events for a 24 hour period; the duration of PTA is often used as a prognostic indicator of eventual recovery Ptosis – drooping of the eyelid Pyramidal system – a motor system of the brain that is responsible for controlling voluntary movements
Quadriplegia – paralysis of all four limbs
Rancho Los Amigos Scale of Cognitive Functioning – an eight-point scale used for identifying the level of a head injury survivor's functioning Residual impairments – long-lasting or persistent effects of a brain injury Retrograde amnesia – a memory impairment affecting the recall of events or experiences that occurred prior to the traumatic injury Rigidity of thought – the inability to shift from one idea, hypothesis, framework, or perspective to another; opposite of flexibility of thought Rotational acceleration – a vector of force that does not pass through an object's center of gravity
Secondary mechanisms of injury – injuries that occur several minutes to weeks after trauma Seizure – random electrical activity within the brain that may or may not disrupt consciousness and/or produce perceptual or motor alterations Selective attention – the ability to maintain alertness to specific stimuli in the environment despite the presence of internal or external distractors Sequelae – the pathological consequences following a head injury or onset of disease Shearing strain – the simultaneous pulling of adjacent structures in two directions; shearing lesions are recognized as tears in nerve fibers Shifting of set – changing from one activity or perspective to another Simple partial seizure / partial simple seizure – a partial seizure in which there is no disturbance of consciousness Somesthetic – relating to the sensation of pain, temperature, position, and pressure Spasticity – uncontrolled contractions of muscles Status epilepticus – two or more seizures superimposed on one another such that there is an incomplete or no recovery of consciousness between them; sometimes referred to as continuous seizures Stereognosis – the ability to recognize an object placed in the hands without looking at it Subdural – below the outermost covering of the brain Subdural Hematoma – a collection of spilled blood between the membranes covering the brain Superior – above Sustained attention – the ability to maintain a consistent behavioral response during continuous and repetitive activities Synapse – the functional connection that permits one neuron to communicate with another neuron (through the action of a neurotransmitter)
Temporal Lobe – a part of the brain important for processing language and interpreting sounds Temporal Orientation – awareness of time information such as the current time of day, day of week, date, month, or year Tinnitus – a constant or intermittent ringing sound in the ears Tonic-Clonic seizure / Grand Mal Seizure – a seizure in which the person experiences 10-30 seconds of tonic movements with marked extension or flexion of muscles and 15-60 seconds of clonic movements with rhythmic muscle group shaking; generally followed by headache, sleepiness, and confusion Translational Acceleration – a linear vector of force passing through an object's center of gravity Tremor – a purposeless, involuntary, and repetitive movement
Vapor Pressure Level – the point at which liquid changes to gas Vasogenic Edema – increased water content within the brain resulting from a breakdown in the blood-brain barrier allowing water from the blood stream to pass into brain tissue; can lead to brain damage Ventricles – fluid-filled spaces within the brain Ventricular System – a system of fluid-filled spaces within the brain and spinal column that helps regulate intracranial pressure Verbal Apraxia / Apraxia of Speech – an acquired speech disorder in which a person can produce the sounds of speech but often rearranges the order of sounds in a word Verbal IQ – an intelligence score based on a person's performance of information, digit span, vocabulary, arithmetic, comprehension, and similarities subtests of the Wechsler intelligence test (WAIS-R, WISC-III, WPPSI-R); provides an indication of language comprehension and expression, recall of general knowledge information, and ability to reason with words Vertigo – dizziness Vestibular Problems – difficulties with balance and equilibrium Vigilance – the ability to sustain concentration and to inhibit inaccurate responses during a repetitive task Visual Field Cut – a region of blindness in the visual field of one or both eyes Visual Neglect – a failure to attend to visual stimuli presented in a portion of the visual field despite intact functioning of the eye Volitional Tremor – an involuntary tremor that occurs when a person engages in purposeful movements
Wernicke's Aphasia – an acquired language disorder due to damage in Wernicke's area and characterized by fluent, paraphasic speech Wernicke's Area – an area of the temporal lobe important for language functioning From:
Coalition Home Page | Join Our Network | Project B.R.A.I.N. | About Project B.R.A.I.N. | Tennessee School Systems Featuring Brain Resource Teams | “Virtual School” Tour | Supporting Students with TBI in the Classroom | Effects of TBI on Students | “Currents” Newsletter | About Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) | Severity of Brain Injury | When Your Child’s Head Has Been Hurt | Cause & Incidence | Online TBI Resources |
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