Brain Waves: UAB Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Newsletter Volume 16 | Number 2

VOL 16 | NUM 2 2018 BrainWaves UAB Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Digital Newsletter Headline News The UAB Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (UAB-TBIMS) has launched a new website to help doctors, nurse practitioners and other community-based primary care providers manage their patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). This free website offers primary care providers considerations for managing secondary medical complications of TBI along with situational advice for referrals. Current areas of focus include Anger & Irritability, Depression, Return to Driving, Sleep Disturbance, and Substance Use. The website also has information on supplemental issues for ADA Compliance Guides, and Wheelchair & Seating. uab.edu/tbiprimarycare. 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 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. ©2018 University of Alabama Board of Trustees. The University of Alabama at Birmingham provides equal opportunity in education and employment. People with a severe TBI may experience disorders of consciousness, such as a coma or a minimally conscious or vegetative state, and not able to follow simple commands like “squeeze my hand.” It has been commonly assumed that those who experience disordered consciousness do not have a meaningful recovery. Researchers at the TBI Model System Centers Indiana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Texas, and the Tampa Veterans Administration Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center looked at long-term data from a group of people with severe TBI who were still unable to follow commands when they moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center. The researchers wanted to find out how much these individuals recovered in their mobility, self-care, and cognitive skills during the first decade after their injuries. They found recovery and independence are common after severe TBI. You can find this easy to read summary of all the findings highlighted in Research In Focus from the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC). Researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Center tested a new program called the Resilience and Adjustment Intervention (RAI). The RAI program is designed to help build resilience for people with TBI. The researchers had two goals. First, they wanted to find out if the program would lead to higher resilience, fewer emotional challenges, or lower stress for people with TBI. Second, they wanted to find out if the benefits of the program could last over a 3-month period. They found that the RAI program may help people build resilience after TBI. You can find this easy to read summary of all the findings highlighted in Research In Focus from the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Report to Congress on The Management of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in Children. The Report details the impact a TBI can have on children and their families. While the Report focuses on some of the gaps that exist with regard to the management of TBIs among children and youth, the promising news is that there are concrete steps that can be taken to improve the care for children following a TBI. Read the report summary.