Causes of Brain Injury
In Australia, the major causes of brain injury are stroke – where
bleeding or a blood clot starves the brain of oxygen; and accident or
trauma, including assaults, car accidents, falls or other misadventures
that result in a blow to the head (also known as traumatic brain injury
or TBI).
Brain injury can also be caused by brain tumours and diseases such as
Alzheimer’s disease, AIDs, Huntington’s disease, or Multiple Sclerosis.
Other causes include substance abuse, poisoning, infections, internal
bleeding or suffocation and drowning. The neurobehavioural approach to
rehabilitation used by ReNew is designed specifically for people whose
brain injury is not caused by a degenerative disease.
When a brain injury happens to someone it can be a shock – particularly
when it is sudden and without warning. Brain injury can change the life
of the person it affects, as well as their relationships with, and the
lives of, family and friends.