The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) provides disability compensation to veterans with a service-connected injury, and to receive disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), a veteran must submit a claim or have a claim submitted on his or her behalf. Evaluation of the Disability Determination Process for Traumatic Brain Injury in Veterans reviews the process by which the VA assesses impairments resulting from traumatic brain injury for purposes of awarding disability compensation. This report also provides recommendations for legislative or administrative action for improving the adjudication of veterans' claims seeking entitlement to compensation for all impairments arising from a traumatic brain injury.

With the contribution from more than one hundred CNS neurotrauma experts, this book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account on the latest developments in the area of neurotrauma including biomarker studies, experimental models, diagnostic methods, and neurotherapeutic intervention strategies in brain injury research. It discusses neurotrauma mechanisms, biomarker discovery, and neurocognitive and neurobehavioral deficits. Also included are medical interventions and recent neurotherapeutics used in the area of brain injury that have been translated to the area of rehabilitation research. In addition, a section is devoted to models of milder CNS injury, including sports injuries.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a significant source of death and permanent disability, contributing to nearly one-third of all injury related deaths in the United States and exacting a profound personal and economic toll. Despite the increased resources that have recently been brought to bear to improve our understanding of TBI, the developme

In the past decade, few subjects at the intersection of medicine and sports have generated as much public interest as sports-related concussions - especially among youth. Despite growing awareness of sports-related concussions and campaigns to educate athletes, coaches, physicians, and parents of young athletes about concussion recognition and management, confusion and controversy persist in many areas. Currently, diagnosis is based primarily on the symptoms reported by the individual rather than on objective diagnostic markers, and there is little empirical evidence for the optimal degree and duration of physical rest needed to promote recovery or the best timing and approach for returning to full physical activity. Sports-Related Concussions in Youth: Improving the Science, Changing the Culture reviews the science of sports-related concussions in youth from elementary school through young adulthood, as well as in military personnel and their dependents. This report recommends actions that can be taken by a range of audiences - including research funding agencies, legislatures, state and school superintendents and athletic directors, military organizations, and equipment manufacturers, as well as youth who participate in sports and their parents - to improve what is known about concussions and to reduce their occurrence. Sports-Related Concussions in Youth finds that while some studies provide useful information, much remains unknown about the extent of concussions in youth; how to diagnose, manage, and prevent concussions; and the short- and long-term consequences of concussions as well as repetitive head impacts that do not result in concussion symptoms. The culture of sports negatively influences athletes' self-reporting of concussion symptoms and their adherence to return-to-play guidance. Athletes, their teammates, and, in some cases, coaches and parents may not fully appreciate the health threats posed by concussions. Similarly, military recruits are immersed in a culture that includes devotion to duty and service before self, and the critical nature of concussions may often go unheeded. According to Sports-Related Concussions in Youth, if the youth sports community can adopt the belief that concussions are serious injuries and emphasize care for players with concussions until they are fully recovered, then the culture in which these athletes perform and compete will become much safer. Improving understanding of the extent, causes, effects, and prevention of sports-related concussions is vitally important for the health and well-being of youth athletes. The findings and recommendations in this report set a direction for research to reach this goal.

Traumatic brain injury is one of the most difficult and challenging management problems facing clinicians. Research is increasingly clarifying the underlying physiological mechanisms involved in neuronal damage, offering the chance of better methods of diagnosis and treatment.This second edition of Head Injury contains detailed coverage of basic me

"From high school football to the NFL, from shaken baby syndrome to battlefield injury, head trauma with its consequence of brain injury has become a major concern for not only the medical and legal professions, but also for the public as a whole. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious health problem resulting in a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that, on average, approximately 1.7 million individuals incur a TBI each year. Head Trauma and Brian Injury is the fourth volume in the ABA Medical-Legal Guides series. This book provides in-depth medical-legal information regarding injury to the brain, that critical control center for the entire body as well as the spinal cord and those structures surrounding these components of the central nervous system. Throughout the book, examinations of legal cases on the topic are offered along with various legislative and professional organizational initiatives on head trauma. We are pleased to have chapter contributions from recognized professionals of different disciplines discussing the topics within their expertise"--Unedited summary from book cover.

Each day throughout the world hundreds of people suffer head injuries. Whether they are caused by traffic accidents, or violence, or occur during sports and leisure activities , these injuries can dramatically and tragically alter the victim's ability to cope with life. In many countries,after-care of the victim, once the injury is no longer life-threatening, is often inadequate, and all too often families are left to manage as best as they can. The book is written for families who find themselves in this situation. The authors have had many years of experience working withhead-injured people in both research and rehabilitation roles. The effects of injury are explained in non-technical terms and, where possible, practical ways of overcoming these effects are described. Because they also have many years of experience working with organisations that have been formedto help the families of the head-injured, the authors know the main areas of concern that these families have. Beginning with the injury itself, the stages that the patient will go through are described, and the procedures and techniques that will be used to chart progress are explained. As wellas these direct effects of the injury on the victim, the book also examines the ways that head trauma can affect families and friends. For the person who will eventually recover sufficiently to do so, there are suggestions on managing the return to work or school most effectively. For those whowill never reach this level, there is a section which describes the long-term adjustments that these people and their care-givers need to make. The final section outlines the requirements of a head injury rehabilitation system, and gives some suggestions about the steps that individuals can take toensure that this sort of service is provided in their area. This new edition has been fully updated, to reflect the recent advances in medical science that mean that many more people with head injury survive, and also new trends in health care and rehabilitation.