Brain Injury Blog | Traumatic Brain Injury TBI

Symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury, such as sleep disorders, memory impairment or attention problems, can overlap symptoms of depression. In the forensic setting, the distinction between symptoms of mTBI and depression is a critical one, but diagnostic mistakes can easily be made.
Recently, a study comparing mTBI patients with depression, mTBI patients without depression, and [...]

A common feature of mild traumatic brain injury is damage to the white matter tracts that connect one part of the brain to another, or diffuse axonal injury (DAI). DAI is difficult to see in the traditional CT or MRI scans, and while it can be detected using newer technology such as diffusion tensor imaging, [...]

Recovery from sports-related injury is an issue made complex by the pressure to return the patient to their game. However, we now know that injured brains have a vulnerable window of time in which they can be more susceptible to recurring injury.
Traditional tests of recovery include the subsiding of symptoms and improved performance in neurocognitive [...]

S100B is a type of protein found in neurons, as well as other cells outside of the brain. Its role seems to depend on its concentration. Low levels of S100B are found in healthy brains, indicating a supportive role when in low quantity. Levels of S100B rise considerably after brain injury, and may involve a [...]

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) involves a coil that is applied against the head in order to send weak electrical pulses to the brain. These electrical pulses can temporarily activate or disrupt brain activity.
Repetitive TMS (rTMS) involves continuous electrical pulses to the brain and can create long-term changes in the brain. Recently, rTMS was used in [...]

On Thursday, August, 5, 2010, the Senate approved a $26.1 billion state-aid package that will be considered in the House next week. The measure (HR 1586) would extend enhanced federal Medicaid funding to states. Without the extension, the elevated federal funding will expire on December 31, 2010, halfway through the fiscal year for states causing [...]

Dear Advocates,
Look for a special appropriations edition of Policy Corner this Friday, August 6, 2010.  BIAA will be analyzing the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education committee report this week and will alert grassroots advocates on Friday regarding the funding status of TBI programs.
Also, this afternoon, the Senate opted to postpone a vote [...]

Memory is a difficult concept to define. To remember something requires the complex processing of information such as time, place, emotions, or sensory input (sight, smell, sound, touch), in order have the ability to re-create that information at a later time. Scientists have long tried to define memory by using models to describe this process, [...]

There are various factors that influence how and when a spinal cord injury patient returns to work—such as type of pre-injury employment, amount of family support, or years of education. A recent study focused on the factors that influenced the length of delay between the time of injury and the first post-injury job.
The results of [...]

A high level quality of life is considered the ultimate goal in rehabilitation efforts for spinal cord injury patients. But, quality of life can be difficult to determine because of its subjective nature. A recent review of quality of life assessment tools found that the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) assessment was the [...]