Acquired brain injury is a pathology that affects almost half a million people in Spain, being the third cause of death in the country, first in women, a gender more affected by ABI than men.
Acquired brain injury (ABI) can be defined as a brain injury that occurs suddenly and is characterized by a series of sequelae. These sequelae vary according to the severity of the injury and the area affected. This damage to the brain can occur in two ways: due to a disease or after suffering a stroke.
– Disease-induced ACD: cerebrovascular accident or stroke. There is a sudden stop in cerebral blood flow.
– ACD due to trauma or stroke: traumatic brain injury. The most common way to be injured in this way is in traffic accidents.
Symptoms of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
The symptoms of ABI vary depending on the area affected by the injury, with symptoms varying according to the area injured and the intensity of the injury.
Nowadays, however, people who suffer a stroke or traumatic brain injury survive in higher percentages than in the past, thanks to emergency care. Early treatment, especially in the case of stroke, makes it possible to minimize the sequelae.
The most common sequelae of ACD are physical and mental limitations, such as cognitive and memory impairment, mood and communication disorders…
Rehabilitation after ACD
The rehabilitation process is a time whose ultimate goal is to prevent and treat the deficits that appear after suffering brain damage. These are motor and physical problems, mental problems, behavioral or speech problems…
It is necessary that the rehabilitation of these problems be addressed by a multidisciplinary team of professionals, in order to recover the maximum function of the altered skills, as well as the ultimate goal of rehabilitation is the social reintegration of the patient.
At first, care will be provided in an Intensive Care Unit or in an Emergency Department, although comprehensive treatment units are appearing more and more frequently, in which Neurology, rehabilitation, physiotherapists, therapists, speech therapists, psychiatrists and traumatologists are integrated.
The rehabilitation process is considered stable once the acute and subacute phases have been overcome.
For more information, consult a specialist in Neurorehabilitation.