Brain Injury Screening
The Online Brain Injury Screening and Support System (OBISSS) is a free online tool for youth and adults ages 10 and older that helps identify a person's lifetime history of brain injury and better understand the challenges that may be affecting daily life. Results can help individuals and providers connect to resources, improve communication, and plan for appropriate supports.
OBISSS is provided by the NC Department of Health and Human Services to help North Carolinians identify potential brain injuries and provide immediate tip sheets for symptoms.
OBISSS can help you:
- Identify a history of brain injury
- Better understand brain injury-related challenges
- Receive personalized strategies and resources
- Improve communication between individuals and providers
- Identify resource information
Access OBISSS
Select Access OBISSS Screening and use the following information to begin:
- State Login: North Carolina
- Subscriber Code: 704
About Brain Injury
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
An Acquired Brain Injury (or ABI) is the umbrella or encompassing terms for an event that results in damage to the brain anytime after birth. Often, it can cause temporary or permanent changes to the brain's connections resulting in different physical, cognitive, or behavioral functions. Brain injuries are not primarily related to a degenerative disease or aging process such as in dementias or mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Non-traumatic brain injuries
Non-traumatic Brain Injuries are not less "traumatic" but are labeled so because the resulting changes are caused my an internal effect (lack of oxygen or disruption of brain cells). These are injuries to the brain caused by stroke, strangulation, nonfatal overdoses, infection, anoxia, vascular lesions (abnormalities of the skin and underlying tissues), or tumor of the brain.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
Traumatic Brain Injuries, also called TBIs, may be penetrating or non-penetrating - meaning the skull may or may not be broken. They occur from external or outside forces causing trauma to the brain to such as from a bump, blow, jolt, blast, or hit to the body. TBIs are classified as mild, moderate, or severe depending on the injury event. Concussions are a mild type of TBI.