CERTIFIED BRAIN INJURY SPECIALIST EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | CBIS CERTIFICATION
STUDY GUIDE 2026
4 Ts - correct answer ✔✔Elements affecting sexual energy
within a marriage.
Time together; talking together; trusting each other; touching each other
504 Plan
Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - correct answer ✔✔A written plan developed by a general
education school committee outlining
accommodations to be made by a K-12 or
post-secondary school that receives federal
funds for a student with a disabling condition
that substantially limits a major life activity.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) - correct answer ✔✔Also known as dementia
pugilistica, refers to a condition, diagnosed after death, relative to multiple concussions caused
by significant force. A progressive degenerative disease that is most often sustained by athletes
participating in contact sports, where it is sometimes termed punch drunk. May also be
observed in domestic violence victims or abused children who have sustained numerous blows
to the head. It begins very slowly with deterioration in concentration, attention, memory,
judgment, and insight, occasionally accompanied by dizziness and headaches. Severe symptoms
of eventually show symptoms of Parkinsonism, including disturbed coordination, slowed gait,
slurred speech, masked facies, difficulty swallowing and tremors.
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) - correct answer ✔✔An injury to the brain that is not hereditary,
congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma
,Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - correct answer ✔✔an alteration in brain function, or other
evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force
closed injuries - correct answer ✔✔Can cause brain lacerations and contusions, or intracerebral
hemorrhage within the brain causing focal injuries. i.e. coup-countercoup, and/or diffuse injury
resulting from tearing or shearing of axons i.e. Diffuse axonal injury (DAI)
Open injuries - correct answer ✔✔Breach of the skull or a breach of the meninges. These
injuries often result in focal injuries (such as epidural or SDH, or ICH) or penetrating injury i.e.
gunshot wound
Mild TBI (mTBI) - correct answer ✔✔Can have either brief or no loss of consciousness and its
presentation may demonstrate vomiting, lethargy, dizziness, and inability to recall what just
happened.
Moderate TBI - correct answer ✔✔Will be marked by unconsciousness for any period of time up
to 24hours, will have neurological signs of brain trauma, including skull fractures with contusion
or bleeding, and may have focal findings on an electroencephalograph (EEG)/computed
tomography (CT) scan.
Normal or abnormal structural imaging; LOC >30min and <24 hr; AOC >24 hr severity based on
other criteria; PTA >1 and <7 days; GCS = 9-12
Severe TBI - correct answer ✔✔Marked by a period of loss of consciousness of 24 hours or
greater.
Normal or abnormal structural imaging; LOC >24 hr; PTA >7 days; GCS = 3-8
Incidence - correct answer ✔✔occurrence; i.e. a certain number of brain injuries within a given
year.
, Prevalence of Injury - correct answer ✔✔The number of people with a given condition (i.e. ABI)
at a specific point in time
Mild Brain Injury (mBI) - correct answer ✔✔Injury to the brain, with Glasgow Coma Scores
(GCS) between 13-15; Normal Structural Imaging; LOC = 0-30 minutes; AOC = from a moment
up to 24hr; PTA = 0-1 day
Akinesia - correct answer ✔✔slowness or loss of movement
epidural hematoma (EDH) - correct answer ✔✔Hematoma on the surface of the meninges but
inside the skull, displacing the brain
Subdural Hematoma - correct answer ✔✔Bleeding between the dura mater and the arachnoid
layers of the meninges.
Hypoxia - correct answer ✔✔decreased amount of O2 to the brain
Anoxia - correct answer ✔✔no O2 to the brain completely
Medulla - correct answer ✔✔the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat, breathing, blood
pressure, swallowing, vomiting, and sneezing
Pons - correct answer ✔✔Part of the brainstem that is essential for facial movement and
sensations, hearing and coordinating eye movements.
Enables the thinking part of the brain (Cortex) to work with the moving part of the brain
(Cerebellum)
STUDY GUIDE 2026
4 Ts - correct answer ✔✔Elements affecting sexual energy
within a marriage.
Time together; talking together; trusting each other; touching each other
504 Plan
Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - correct answer ✔✔A written plan developed by a general
education school committee outlining
accommodations to be made by a K-12 or
post-secondary school that receives federal
funds for a student with a disabling condition
that substantially limits a major life activity.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) - correct answer ✔✔Also known as dementia
pugilistica, refers to a condition, diagnosed after death, relative to multiple concussions caused
by significant force. A progressive degenerative disease that is most often sustained by athletes
participating in contact sports, where it is sometimes termed punch drunk. May also be
observed in domestic violence victims or abused children who have sustained numerous blows
to the head. It begins very slowly with deterioration in concentration, attention, memory,
judgment, and insight, occasionally accompanied by dizziness and headaches. Severe symptoms
of eventually show symptoms of Parkinsonism, including disturbed coordination, slowed gait,
slurred speech, masked facies, difficulty swallowing and tremors.
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) - correct answer ✔✔An injury to the brain that is not hereditary,
congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma
,Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - correct answer ✔✔an alteration in brain function, or other
evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force
closed injuries - correct answer ✔✔Can cause brain lacerations and contusions, or intracerebral
hemorrhage within the brain causing focal injuries. i.e. coup-countercoup, and/or diffuse injury
resulting from tearing or shearing of axons i.e. Diffuse axonal injury (DAI)
Open injuries - correct answer ✔✔Breach of the skull or a breach of the meninges. These
injuries often result in focal injuries (such as epidural or SDH, or ICH) or penetrating injury i.e.
gunshot wound
Mild TBI (mTBI) - correct answer ✔✔Can have either brief or no loss of consciousness and its
presentation may demonstrate vomiting, lethargy, dizziness, and inability to recall what just
happened.
Moderate TBI - correct answer ✔✔Will be marked by unconsciousness for any period of time up
to 24hours, will have neurological signs of brain trauma, including skull fractures with contusion
or bleeding, and may have focal findings on an electroencephalograph (EEG)/computed
tomography (CT) scan.
Normal or abnormal structural imaging; LOC >30min and <24 hr; AOC >24 hr severity based on
other criteria; PTA >1 and <7 days; GCS = 9-12
Severe TBI - correct answer ✔✔Marked by a period of loss of consciousness of 24 hours or
greater.
Normal or abnormal structural imaging; LOC >24 hr; PTA >7 days; GCS = 3-8
Incidence - correct answer ✔✔occurrence; i.e. a certain number of brain injuries within a given
year.
, Prevalence of Injury - correct answer ✔✔The number of people with a given condition (i.e. ABI)
at a specific point in time
Mild Brain Injury (mBI) - correct answer ✔✔Injury to the brain, with Glasgow Coma Scores
(GCS) between 13-15; Normal Structural Imaging; LOC = 0-30 minutes; AOC = from a moment
up to 24hr; PTA = 0-1 day
Akinesia - correct answer ✔✔slowness or loss of movement
epidural hematoma (EDH) - correct answer ✔✔Hematoma on the surface of the meninges but
inside the skull, displacing the brain
Subdural Hematoma - correct answer ✔✔Bleeding between the dura mater and the arachnoid
layers of the meninges.
Hypoxia - correct answer ✔✔decreased amount of O2 to the brain
Anoxia - correct answer ✔✔no O2 to the brain completely
Medulla - correct answer ✔✔the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat, breathing, blood
pressure, swallowing, vomiting, and sneezing
Pons - correct answer ✔✔Part of the brainstem that is essential for facial movement and
sensations, hearing and coordinating eye movements.
Enables the thinking part of the brain (Cortex) to work with the moving part of the brain
(Cerebellum)
