Brain Waves: UAB TBI Model System Newsletter Volume 18 | Number 1

VOL 18 | NUM 1 BrainWaves 2020 UAB Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Digital Newsletter The University of Alabama at Birmingham Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (UAB-TBIMS) provides Brain Waves twice annually as an informational resource for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI). UAB-TBIMS Program Director: Robert Brunner, MD Brain Waves Editor: Phil Klebine, MA 529 Spain Rehabilitation Center 1717 6th Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35233-7330 Phone: [phone] TDD: 205-934-4642 Fax: [phone] WWW.UAB.EDU/TBI [email protected] /UABTBIMS /UABTBIMS /UABTBIMS The contents of this publication were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90DPTB0015). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this publication do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. ©2020 University of Alabama Board of Trustees. The University of Alabama at Birmingham provides equal opportunity in education and employment. Headline News After brain injury, spouses or partners are often caregiver that can lead to changes in roles and expectations for both partners. This can be stressful. Researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Center looked at a newly developed shortterm couples’ therapy program to find out whether it decreased unmet caregiver needs and whether or not they felt less burdened by their caregiving duties. The therapy, called the Therapeutic Couples Intervention (TCI), was found to improve relationship quality for couples. Specifically, the researchers looked at two things. 1. The percentage of needs that were completely met. They found that the couples’ in the TCI group reported an average of 22% increase in met needs overall after the TCI. This increase was maintained at the 3-month follow-up. In contrast, the partners in the comparison group reported no change in met needs. 2. Caregiver burden scores. They found that the couples’ in the TCI group reported an average of 15% decrease in caregiver burden after the TCI program. At the 3-month follow-up, their caregiver burden scores dropped by another 13%. In contrast, the caregiver burden scores reported by the partners in the comparison group dropped by only 4% over the course of the study. Read a complete recap here A new study challenges the current perceptions that most people who suffer a concussion playing sports recover within 10 to 14 days. The recent study is published in the March issue of the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. The study looked the concussion recovery time of nearly 600 patients. More than 3 out of 4 were male, and their average age was 20. About 7.5% were under age 12. Here are the key findings. • 45% of patients had recovered after 14 days. • 77% of patients recovered after 4 weeks. • 96% of patients recovered after 8 weeks. • Recovery time was similar across all age groups. • Recovery times were longer for female athletes and for patients with a history of migraine or mental health issues. • Patients who delayed seeking medical treatment had a slower recovery. These findings are important because current guidelines from the global Concussion in Sports Group state that nearly all sports-related concussions resolve within 10 days. Read the full study here The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center has 2 new traumatic brain injury factsheets. Social Skills After Traumatic Brain Injury and Loss of Smell or Taste After Traumatic Brain Injury are available free to download.