What is
IBI?
Invisible Brain Injury

Acquired Brain
INJURY
ABI can be caused by a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), stroke, tumors, long COVID and other brain pathologies. It is much more than a problem of mobility There are other invisible consequences.
There are many invisible impairments resulting from Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) which can greatly affect the quality of life of individuals and their loved ones. These impairments are what we call IBI or Invisible Brain Injury. It is very important to know them and to be able to detect them properly.


Not all disabilities
are visible






Invisible
impairments
Some invisible symptoms that can affect us are fatigue, apathy, lack of flexibility, impulsiveness, changes in emotional sensitivity or expressiveness, divided attention, communication problems, etc.
In addition, we must not forget executive functions impairments, such as difficulties in organization and planning.
A good assessment and including invisible impairments rehabilitation will greatly help to rebuild ABI survivors identity.
If it is not done, people feel bad and also treat themselves worse, since they do not understand what is happening to them, nor do they receive treatment for it.


Some of the invisible impairments can be:
cognitive:
Attention, memory, executive functions difficulties, cognitive fatigue, slow information processing, organization and planning difficulties, lack of impairment awareness, visual agnosia…
behavioural
Lack of motor, impulsiveness, apathy, irritability. Mood or personality changes, aggressiveness.
emotional
Emotional inexpressiveness or emotional hypersensitivity. Lack of empathy, affective flattening. Sadness, extreme joy, sudden and unjustified mood swings.
Communicative
Aphasia: Losing the ability to speak, understand, read, or write.
physical
Auditory and optical hypersensitivity, sleep disturbance, vision problems.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Difficulties in accepting and adapting to changes, mood disorders.
DISCOVER ibi






Places of interest
There are many interesting places which can be of great help for people that suffer an acquired brain injury. Below we will list some of the most useful ones that we know of. We will keep expanding the list.
AFASIA ACTIVA
Association of people with aphasia and their rehabilitation.
BRAINING MUM
Association to support Parenting and mothers with ABI.
CEAPAT
State Reference Center for Personal Autonomy and Technical Assistance.
CERNEP
Neuropsychological Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center.
CLINICA PCH
Cognitive stimulation. Rehabilitation, neuropsychology and psychology.
CONVIVES CON ESPASTICIDAD
Association for the autonomy of people living with spasticity.
DEPORTE PARA DCA
Second Part Foundation.
DECEDARIO
The language stimulation board game.
FUNDACIÓN DACER
Brain Injury Foundation.
FUNDACIÓN SIN DAÑO
Meeting point around Childhood Sudden Brain Injury.
FRENO AL ICTUS
Foundation to reduce the impact of stroke.
GRUPO 5
Mental health, neurorehabilitation, etc.
HABLEMOS DE NEUROCIENCIA
Scientific dissemination for all audiences.
HIRU HAMABI
Childhood Acquired Brain Injury Association.
HOLA QUÉ TAL AFASIA
Association for the dissemination of Aphasia.
MUSICAVANZA
Music Association to convey the benefits of music in ABI rehabilitation.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness for all audiences and also adapted to ABI.
NEUROFRIENDLY
Blog of the neurologist Mónica Kurtis.
NEUROLEGAL
Lawyers specialized in Brain Injury.
NEURON
Intensive neurological therapy.
NEUROVIDA
Day centers.
REINTEGRA
Neurological rehabilitation center in Oviedo.
SEREBROS
Chilean Acquired Brain Injury Portal.