Glossary

Acquired Brain Injury
ABI: Brain injury acquired after birth, distinguished from brain injuries that are present at birth.¹
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
CTE: A brain disease that can come about as a result of repetitive concussions. Its symptoms are similar to those of traumatic brain injury, but are more pronounced, and get worse over time.²
Concussion
A type of traumatic brain injury caused by a force applied to the head/face, neck, or body that makes the brain move within the skull; often referred to as a mild traumatic brain injury, concussion results in a temporary loss of normal brain function^3,4
Contextual Factors
Personal, psychosocial, and environmental factors that can affect recovery after brain injury⁵
Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury
HIBI: Brain injury caused when the brain is deprived of oxygen and nutrients⁶
Intimate Partner Violence
IPV: Physical, sexual, or psychological harm perpetrated by a current or former partner or spouse⁷
Medical Factors
Pre-existing medical conditions and post-injury symptoms that can affect recovery after brain injury⁵
Neurological Problems
Problems/conditions affecting the nervous system (brain and spine), present from birth, developing as a result of genetic inheritance, or acquired suddenly as a result of injury, stroke, or cancer of the brain or spine⁸
Psychiatric Problems
Problems related to mental health, manifesting as unusual patterns of behaviour, and causing distress and/or disability;⁹ not necessarily indicative of diagnosable disorder
Traumatic Brain Injury
TBI: Brain injury that occurs as a result of force applied to the head, neck, or face that causes injury to the brain, disrupting its normal functioning¹⁰

Repetitive Brain Injury

As mentioned in the discussion of the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury, previous head injury is a risk factor that can prolong and complicate the brain injury recovery process. An extreme consequence of having sustained multiple brain injuries is something that is frequently spoken of in the context of sports. It is a brain disease that is thought to be result of repeated concussions, and even hits that are not hard enough to cause a concussion (called sub-concussive impacts), are implicated in the disease.¹ This disease is formally called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)^1,2and its symptoms are similar to those experienced in traumatic brain injury, but more pronounced, and worsening over time. At its extreme, CTE can mimic Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and it is thought to be associated with the development of these neurodegenerative diseases.^2,3

Symptoms of CTE include:^1,2

Memory loss
Impulsivity
Impaired judgment
Aggression
Depression
Difficulty with coordination

The potential relationship between repetitive brain injury and development of brain disease highlights the importance of identifying traumatic brain injury in women survivors of IPV, many of whom share in common with athletes their exposure to repetitive head injuries.