TBI Terms

The recovery that occurs as damage to body tissue heals. This type of recovery occurs with or without rehabilitation and it is very difficult to know how much improvement is spontaneous and how much is…

An involuntary increase in muscle tone (tension) that occurs following injury to the brain or spinal cord, causing the muscles to resist being moved. Characteristics may include increase in deep tendon reflexes, resistance to passive…

The breaking of bones surrounding the brain. A depressed skull fracture is one in which the broken bone exerts pressure on the brain. 

A procedure to draw off excessive fluid in the brain. A surgically placed tube running from the ventricles which deposits fluid into either the abdominal cavity, heart or large veins of the neck.

Reading, listening, expressing thoughts, describing events or contracting muscles in an orderly and meaningful manner.

Arousing the brain through any of the senses.

Feeling stimuli which activate sensory organs of the body, such as touch, temperature, pressure or pain. Also seeing, hearing, smelling and tasting.

An uncontrolled discharge of nerve cells which may spread to other cells nearby or throughout the entire brain. It usually lasts only a few minutes. It may be associated with loss of consciousness, loss of…

Inability to recall events prior to the accident; it may be a specific span of time or type of information.

A means for taking over the care of a person temporarily (for a few hours to a few days) to provide a period of relief for the primary caregiver.