Acquired Brain Injury

Approximately 1.5 million Americans incur an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) each year due primarily to motor vehicle accidents, falls and strokes as well as anoxia, brain tumor, sports injuries, assaults, encephalitis, and exposure to toxic fumes. About 80,000 of these individuals experience long-term disabilities as a result of the ABI. The survival rate has been steadily increasing over the last 25 years due to medical advances leading to faster and more efficient emergency care. ABI Rehabilitation is a fascinating specialty area, in that each client presents with a unique constellation of strengths and weaknesses based on the location and severity of the brain injury as well as other factors, such as pre-injury profile and post-injury support system. In order to effectively address the multiple difficulties that can result from an ABI, the team needs to be truly comprehensive and interdisciplinary.This textbook will focus on the comprehensive medical and clinical team and their unique contributions to the rehabilitation process. This book is designed for interdisciplinary students in neuro-rehabilitation as well as beginning professionals in the field. The first several chapters will focus on the medical specialists that are integral members of the team and their specialized roles in assessment and treatment. The next chapters will review some of the vital specialty areas that are often overlooked, such as neuro-optometry and vestibular rehabilitation. Chapters from the key discipline areas, such as occupational and speech/language therapies, form most of the middle chapters. The last few chapters are devoted to the main behavioral difficulties exhibited by individuals with ABI, in addition to family stressors and long-term challenges following discharge from a neuro-rehabilitation program.