Recovery After Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a significant source of death and permanent disability, contributing to nearly one-third of all injury related deaths in the United States and exacting a profound personal and economic toll. Despite the increased resources that have recently been brought to bear to improve our understanding of TBI, the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches has been disappointingly slow. Translational Research in Traumatic Brain Injury attempts to integrate expertise from across specialties to address knowledge gaps in the field of TBI. Its chapters cover a wide scope of TBI research in five broad areas: Epidemiology Pathophysiology Diagnosis Current treatment strategies and sequelae Future therapies Specific topics discussed include the societal impact of TBI in both the civilian and military populations, neurobiology and molecular mechanisms of axonal and neuronal injury, biomarkers of traumatic brain injury and their relationship to pathology, neuroplasticity after TBI, neuroprotective and neurorestorative therapy, advanced neuroimaging of mild TBI, neurocognitive and psychiatric symptoms following mild TBI, sports-related TBI, epilepsy and PTSD following TBI, and more. The book integrates the perspectives of experts across disciplines to assist in the translation of new ideas to clinical practice and ultimately to improve the care of the brain injured patient.

This thoroughly revised and updated work covers numerous advances in traumatic brain injury diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, and pathophysiology. Since publication of the first edition in 2012, there has been greatly increased public awareness of the clinical consequences of even the mildest of head injuries, and the result has been a concerted effort of countries around the world to increase research funding. This second edition continues to focus on mild traumatic brain injury--or concussion--and contains updates to all the original chapters as well as adding new chapters addressing clinical sequelae, including pediatric concussion, visual changes, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and blast-associated TBI. Traumatic Brain Injury: A Clinician's Guide to Diagnosis, Management, and Rehabilitation, Second Edition, is a comprehensive resource designed for neurologists, primary care clinicians, sports physicians, and other medical providers, including psychologists and neuropsychologists, as well as athletic trainers who may evaluate and care for individuals who have sustained a TBI. The book features summaries of the most pertinent areas of diagnosis and therapy, which can be readily accessed by the busy clinician/professional. In addition, the book's treatment algorithms provide a highly practical reference to cutting edge therapies, and an updated appendix of ICD codes is included. An outstanding contribution to the literature, Traumatic Brain Injury: A Clinician's Guide to Diagnosis, Management, and Rehabilitation, Second Edition, again offers an invaluable resource for all providers who treat patients with TBI.

Covering the full spectrum of rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury, this practical reference by Drs. Blessen C. Eapen and David X. Cifu presents best practices and considerations for numerous patient populations and their unique needs. In an easy-to-read, concise format, it covers the key information you need to guide your treatment plans and help patients relearn critical life skills and regain their independence. Covers neuroimaging, neurosurgical and critical care management, management of associated complications after TBI, pharmacotherapy, pain management, sports concussion, assistive technologies, and preparing patients for community reintegration. Discusses special populations, including pediatric, geriatric, and military and veteran patients. Consolidates today’s available information and guidance in this challenging and diverse area into one convenient resource.

First Published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The Lefaivre Rainbow Effect is a groundbreaking treatment for those suffering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This strategy is different from most others because it is individually designed for each client and focuses on the cognitive retraining of the brain based on pre-injury lifestyle as well as the organic damage to the brain, rather than the disability alone. Starting in the community, after the acute and in-patient rehabilitation phases of recovery have been completed, the Lefaivre Rainbow Effect maximizes the recovery process by positioning the TBI survivor to be a motivated participant in the arduous journey of recovery. Key features: Provides tools and templates for managing the individualized treatment and integration process, including additional material available for download Addresses physical, emotional, and cognitive deficits with a strong influence on participation in life activities Includes the unique theory of the traumatically induced dysfunctional family, with the aim to preserve the family unit and reduce the overall loss for the survivor of brain injury Features a practical approach, including chapter summaries, case studies, diagrams, and templates Offers guidance on producing an Independent Medical Evaluation and preparing effectively for cross examination in recognition of the adversarial aspect of many TBI cases This essential text demonstrates how rehabilitation professionals, including occupational therapists, doctors, nurses, social workers, speech pathologists, and neuropsychologists, can use the Lefaivre Rainbow Effect in their practices to improve therapeutic outcomes for their clients.

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) provides disability compensation to veterans with a service-connected injury, and to receive disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), a veteran must submit a claim or have a claim submitted on his or her behalf. Evaluation of the Disability Determination Process for Traumatic Brain Injury in Veterans reviews the process by which the VA assesses impairments resulting from traumatic brain injury for purposes of awarding disability compensation. This report also provides recommendations for legislative or administrative action for improving the adjudication of veterans' claims seeking entitlement to compensation for all impairments arising from a traumatic brain injury.

Integrating clinical and research findings on catastrophic brain injury, this work addresses the pathophysiology, definition, epidemiology and outcome of severe closed head injuries.

Every year, an estimated 1.7 million Americans sustain brain injury. Long-term disabilities impact nearly half of moderate brain injury survivors and nearly 50,000 of these cases result in death. Brain Neurotrauma: Molecular, Neuropsychological, and Rehabilitation Aspects provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account on the latest developments in the area of neurotrauma, including brain injury pathophysiology, biomarker research, experimental models of CNS injury, diagnostic methods, and neurotherapeutic interventions as well as neurorehabilitation strategies in the field of neurotraum research. The book includes several sections on neurotrauma mechanisms, biomarker discovery, neurocognitive/neurobehavioral deficits, and neurorehabilitation and treatment approaches. It also contains a section devoted to models of mild CNS injury, including blast and sport-related injuries. Over the last decade, the field of neurotrauma has witnessed significant advances, especially at the molecular, cellular, and behavioral levels. This progress is largely due to the introduction of novel techniques, as well as the development of new animal models of central nervous system (CNS) injury. This book, with its diverse coherent content, gives you insight into the diverse and heterogeneous aspects of CNS pathology and/or rehabilitation needs.