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Certified Brain Injury Specialist Exam (CBIS) Exam
LATEST 2025/2026 ACTUAL EXAM WITH COMPLETE
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS (100%
VERIFIED ANSWERS) |ALREADY GRADED A+
What are the two functions of the spinal column? ......ANSWER......provides
support to muscles and organs and protects the spinal cord from shearing and
blunt trauma
What are the five sections of the spinal cord? ......ANSWER......cervical (C1-C7),
thoracic (T1-T12), lumbar (L1-L5), sacral, and coccygeal regions
What is the role of the cervical spine? ......ANSWER......connects to the head at
the base of the skull through the atlanto-occipital joint; 7 of them; first two are
responsible for moving head L/R/up/down thru Atlas (C1) and Axis (C2)
Together, what forms a protective horizontal ring of bone around the spinal
cord? ......ANSWER......pedicles and lamina
What is the role of the thoracic spine? ......ANSWER......helps stabilize
What is the role of the lumbar spine? ......ANSWER......where the spinal cord
proper ends (at the conus medullaris); help to bear weight and carry our frame
pg. 1
,2|Page
What is the role of the sacrum and the coccyx? ......ANSWER......last regions that
compose the spinal column; sacrum articulates with the ilia to form the basis of
the pelvic girdle; the coccyx is a vestigial body structure that doesn't do much
besides give us pain when we fall on it
What are the three critical ligaments to spinal stability? ......ANSWER......the
anterior longitudinal ligament, the posterior longitudinal ligament, and the
ligamentum flavum
What are the major descending tracts of the brain? ......ANSWER......anterior
corticospinal tract (carries impulses from motor cortex to muscles/organs),
lateral corticospinal tract (sends impulses to control muscles and other organs),
rubrospinal tract (assists with fine motor control), tectospinal tract (aids in
directing head movements in response to visual and auditory stimuli)
What are afferent nerve tracts? ......ANSWER......tracts that SEND information
What are the major ascending tracts of the brain? ......ANSWER......fascuculus
cuneatus and faniculus gracilis (transmit joint and muscle sensation to the
brain); lissauer's tract (carry sensations of pain and temperature); anterior and
posterior spinocerebellar tracts (send information to the cerebellum, helping to
interpret proprioception); spinothalamic tracts (mediates pain/temp sensation,
transmits touch impulses to brain); spinoreticular tract (responsible for pain
reflex responses); spinotectal tract (processes information from the eyes and
other sensory organs)
What is Central Cord Syndrome? ......ANSWER......Central injury to cervical spinal
cord resulting in greater weakness in UEs than in LEs
pg. 2
,3|Page
What is Brown-Sequard Syndrome? ......ANSWER......A hemi-section lesion of
the spinal cord resulting in ipsilateral motor loss and contralateral loss of
sensitivity to pain and temp
What is Anterior Cord Syndrome? ......ANSWER......Often associated with a
lesion causing variable loss of motor and sensation function. Proprioception
preserved
What is posterior cord syndrome? ......ANSWER......with necrosis of spinal cord,
pt possesses strength but no sense of where his or her limbs and body are in
space below the level of damage
What is diffuse tensor imaging (DTI)? ......ANSWER......an imaging technique that
comes from an MRI scan and can identify major tracts in the brain
What is functional MRI (fMRI)? ......ANSWER......a neuroimaging technique in
which the person performs a task while in the scanner and the activated brain
regions can be viewed
What are the costs to society of brain injury annually? ......ANSWER......$76.5
billion annually
What is an acquired brain injury? ......ANSWER......an injury to the brain that is
not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma
What are the two types of ABI? ......ANSWER......traumatic and non-traumatic
pg. 3
, 4|Page
What is a traumatic brain injury (TBI)? ......ANSWER......an alteration in brain
function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force
What are the two primary mechanisms of TBI? ......ANSWER......those involving
impact to the head and those involving inertial forces which affect the brain
What are the two categories of traumatic brain injuries?
......ANSWER......open/penetrating injury, and closed/non-penetrating injury
What are closed injuries? ......ANSWER......can cause brain lacerations and
contusions, or intracerebral hemorrhage within the brain causing focal injuries;
may be more diffuse injury resulting from tearing or shearing of axons
What are open injuries? ......ANSWER......breach of the skull or a breach of the
meninges
What are traumatic inertial injuries? ......ANSWER......non-impact injuries
resulting from inertial forces; most common involves acceleration-deceleration
forces
What is non-traumatic brain injury (nTBI)? ......ANSWER......damage caused to
the brain by internal factors, such as lack of O2 or nutrients, exposures to toxins,
pressure from tumor/blockage, or other neurological disorder
What are examples of TBIs? ......ANSWER......falls, assaults, MVCs,
sports/recreational injuries, SBS/AHT, GSW, workplace injuries, child abuse,
domestic violence, military actions (blast injury)
pg. 4
Certified Brain Injury Specialist Exam (CBIS) Exam
LATEST 2025/2026 ACTUAL EXAM WITH COMPLETE
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS (100%
VERIFIED ANSWERS) |ALREADY GRADED A+
What are the two functions of the spinal column? ......ANSWER......provides
support to muscles and organs and protects the spinal cord from shearing and
blunt trauma
What are the five sections of the spinal cord? ......ANSWER......cervical (C1-C7),
thoracic (T1-T12), lumbar (L1-L5), sacral, and coccygeal regions
What is the role of the cervical spine? ......ANSWER......connects to the head at
the base of the skull through the atlanto-occipital joint; 7 of them; first two are
responsible for moving head L/R/up/down thru Atlas (C1) and Axis (C2)
Together, what forms a protective horizontal ring of bone around the spinal
cord? ......ANSWER......pedicles and lamina
What is the role of the thoracic spine? ......ANSWER......helps stabilize
What is the role of the lumbar spine? ......ANSWER......where the spinal cord
proper ends (at the conus medullaris); help to bear weight and carry our frame
pg. 1
,2|Page
What is the role of the sacrum and the coccyx? ......ANSWER......last regions that
compose the spinal column; sacrum articulates with the ilia to form the basis of
the pelvic girdle; the coccyx is a vestigial body structure that doesn't do much
besides give us pain when we fall on it
What are the three critical ligaments to spinal stability? ......ANSWER......the
anterior longitudinal ligament, the posterior longitudinal ligament, and the
ligamentum flavum
What are the major descending tracts of the brain? ......ANSWER......anterior
corticospinal tract (carries impulses from motor cortex to muscles/organs),
lateral corticospinal tract (sends impulses to control muscles and other organs),
rubrospinal tract (assists with fine motor control), tectospinal tract (aids in
directing head movements in response to visual and auditory stimuli)
What are afferent nerve tracts? ......ANSWER......tracts that SEND information
What are the major ascending tracts of the brain? ......ANSWER......fascuculus
cuneatus and faniculus gracilis (transmit joint and muscle sensation to the
brain); lissauer's tract (carry sensations of pain and temperature); anterior and
posterior spinocerebellar tracts (send information to the cerebellum, helping to
interpret proprioception); spinothalamic tracts (mediates pain/temp sensation,
transmits touch impulses to brain); spinoreticular tract (responsible for pain
reflex responses); spinotectal tract (processes information from the eyes and
other sensory organs)
What is Central Cord Syndrome? ......ANSWER......Central injury to cervical spinal
cord resulting in greater weakness in UEs than in LEs
pg. 2
,3|Page
What is Brown-Sequard Syndrome? ......ANSWER......A hemi-section lesion of
the spinal cord resulting in ipsilateral motor loss and contralateral loss of
sensitivity to pain and temp
What is Anterior Cord Syndrome? ......ANSWER......Often associated with a
lesion causing variable loss of motor and sensation function. Proprioception
preserved
What is posterior cord syndrome? ......ANSWER......with necrosis of spinal cord,
pt possesses strength but no sense of where his or her limbs and body are in
space below the level of damage
What is diffuse tensor imaging (DTI)? ......ANSWER......an imaging technique that
comes from an MRI scan and can identify major tracts in the brain
What is functional MRI (fMRI)? ......ANSWER......a neuroimaging technique in
which the person performs a task while in the scanner and the activated brain
regions can be viewed
What are the costs to society of brain injury annually? ......ANSWER......$76.5
billion annually
What is an acquired brain injury? ......ANSWER......an injury to the brain that is
not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma
What are the two types of ABI? ......ANSWER......traumatic and non-traumatic
pg. 3
, 4|Page
What is a traumatic brain injury (TBI)? ......ANSWER......an alteration in brain
function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force
What are the two primary mechanisms of TBI? ......ANSWER......those involving
impact to the head and those involving inertial forces which affect the brain
What are the two categories of traumatic brain injuries?
......ANSWER......open/penetrating injury, and closed/non-penetrating injury
What are closed injuries? ......ANSWER......can cause brain lacerations and
contusions, or intracerebral hemorrhage within the brain causing focal injuries;
may be more diffuse injury resulting from tearing or shearing of axons
What are open injuries? ......ANSWER......breach of the skull or a breach of the
meninges
What are traumatic inertial injuries? ......ANSWER......non-impact injuries
resulting from inertial forces; most common involves acceleration-deceleration
forces
What is non-traumatic brain injury (nTBI)? ......ANSWER......damage caused to
the brain by internal factors, such as lack of O2 or nutrients, exposures to toxins,
pressure from tumor/blockage, or other neurological disorder
What are examples of TBIs? ......ANSWER......falls, assaults, MVCs,
sports/recreational injuries, SBS/AHT, GSW, workplace injuries, child abuse,
domestic violence, military actions (blast injury)
pg. 4
