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BIG defines a traumatic brain-injury as the
acute impairment of normal brain function that causes altered cognitive
functioning. This includes open or closed head injury (traumatic
brain injury or TBI); neurological incidents such as strokes (because of
brain haemorrhage or thrombosis) and hypoxia.
People that live with disabilities that are
caused by a brain-injury (focal or diffused) can become members of BIG.
This definition includes changes in motor ability, arousal, personality,
social style and thinking capability).
Furthermore, BIG recognizes that medical
conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's Parkinson' Disease
and dementia (the latter caused by substance abuse, bulimia and full
blown AIDS) also causes an altered mental state, but are excluded in
this definition of a traumatic brain injury.
In terms of classification, BIG
underwrites the World Health Organisation's (WHO) International
Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The
ICF encompasses all aspects of human health and some health-related
component's of well-being and describes them in health domains and
health-related domains. Parts 1 deals with Functioning ad Disability
(body functions and Structures) and Part 2 deals with Contextual Factors
(environmental and personal).
Disability is defined as the "interaction
of a person's health condition and the context in which a person lives
(personal factors and external environment).
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