Brain Injury Blog | Traumatic Brain Injury TBI

Over the past week, you may have seen news reports suggesting that health care reform is in serious jeopardy. WE MUST INSIST THAT CONGRESS COMPLETE HEALTH CARE REFORM NOW!
Too many Americans with disabilities and chronic conditions are not well served by the current system and will make tremendous gains through enactment of health care reform.
Take [...]

March 17, 2010: Sports and Concussion
The Brain Injury Association of America encourages state affiliate leaders and advocates across the country to participate in Brain Injury Awareness Day at events hosted by the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force on Capitol Hill.
Schedule of Events:
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM:        Brain Injury Awareness Fair
First Floor Foyer of the Rayburn [...]

As some of you may know, this morning President Obama released his FY 2011 budget. Last week, the State of the Union address warned of spending freezes and tough decisions on what programs to keep and what programs to discontinue in the coming year.
BIAA is pleased to announce that the HRSA state grant program, authorized [...]

It is recognized that survivors of traumatic brain injury have to cope with numerous life challenges. The growing concern for the number of veterans returning with a brain injury has prompted a tremendous influx of research. These new studies contribute to the understanding of brain injury in both civilian and military populations.
The Institute of Medicine [...]

Insomnia is common after traumatic brain injury and many survivors rely on medication to get to sleep. However, animal studies and studies of healthy individuals show that the use of benzodiazepines (a commonly prescribed sleep aid) reduces cognition, interferes with neural plasticity, and slows recovery. Therefore, many clinicians have discouraged the use of benzodiazepines in [...]

Some children and adolescents who suffer from a sports-related concussion may recover more slowly than adults. Therefore, clinical professionals have long recommended that rehabilitation programs specific for children be developed.
The Montreal Children’s Hospital Trauma Programs developed a set of guidelines specific for children, called the Montreal Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation After Concussion (MCH-RAC). Instead of the [...]

On January 24, 2010, Dateline NBC aired the compelling story of Patrick Gannon, a man who battled a severe anoxic brain injury and was then forced to wage war against his insurance company. The Dateline story accurately portrays how the health care system victimizes patients and families when they are most vulnerable.
The following letter from [...]

A weekly update on federal policy activity related to traumatic brain injury
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In This Issue:
Health Care Reform Update
State Concussion Legislation
2010 Brain Injury Awareness Day
Policy Corner is made possible by the Centre for Neuro Skills, James F. Humphreys and Associates, and Lakeview. Brain Injury Association of America gratefully acknowledges their support for legislative action.
Health Care Reform [...]

Even when the head is not in direct contact with an electrical power source, head injuries can occur by means of an electrical surge to the peripheral nervous system (from contact to an extremity such as arm or leg). Electrical injury survivors often show mental deficits and slowed motor skills as a result of the [...]

Quality of life describes a person’s sense of satisfaction in life and the ability to enjoy normal activities. Spinal cord injury may have tremendous impact on a person’s quality of life in general, and the specific factors that contribute most to quality of life were not previously well known. Additionally, it was not known if [...]