Brain Waves: UAB Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Newsletter Volume 14 | Number 2

VOL 14 | NUM 2 2016 BrainWaves UAB Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Digital Newsletter Headline News 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: Thomas Novack, PhD 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 90DP0044). 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. ©2016 University of Alabama Board of Trustees. The University of Alabama at Birmingham provides equal opportunity in education and employment. The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center recently launched its first episode of The TBI Family, a bi-weekly podcast for caregivers of service members and veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI). This first season of the podcast will provide 10 episodes. The purpose of the podcast series is to provide caregivers with information to help better manage their loved one’s TBI. This includes the most up-to-date research on TBI and pointing caregivers to available tools designed to address TBI-related signs and symptoms. The podcast will also highlight training and techniques and highlight other programs that are offered by the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, and others that help reduce caregiver stress and burden. Caregiver stories are also featured. The first episode is a discussion about the first days of being a TBI family caregiver and free caregiver training options. Emery Popoloski of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation talks about coming to terms with her role as caregiver for her husband. Listen to episode 1 of The TBI Family The Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems (TBIMS) is a network of 16 centers across the United States that work together to collect information for research on outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The data is collected at 1, 2, and 5 years post-injury and every 5 years with information on persons, so far, up to 25 years postinjury. The data includes preinjury history, the injury, acute care hospitalization, rehabilitation, and post-injury outcome. Once collected the data is submitted to the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database. This is the largest TBI longitudinal database in the world. It is used to inform research, treatment, and policy to benefit individuals with TBI and their families. The TBIMS recently hit a milestone by enrolling its 15,000th participant into the TBIMS National Database. Individuals enrolled in the TBIMS National Database are critical to advancing understanding in the field of the lifetime impact of TBI. TBIMS researchers have been able to publish hundreds of peer-reviewed articles using data from the TBIMS National Database. The TBIMS and TBIMS National Database are sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research along with the Department of Health and Human Services. Learn more at http://www.msktc.org/15000. Research In Focus is a weekly digest of new research funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. A recent issue discussed how working memory capacity (WMC) is one factor that could play a role in how well individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) improve their memory in response to memory training exercises. Specifically, the researchers wanted to find out whether people with TBI who had high WMC would show better memory improvement following memory strategy training exercises, when compared to those who had low WMC. Read what they discovered.