The book begins by considering the epidemiology, causes and structural neuropathology of closed head injury, considers the impact of closed head injury and finally details the outcome, mechanisms for recovery and rehabilitation.

In all industrialised countries, closed head injuries are responsible for vast numbers of hospital admissions and days of work lost. For instance, about 120,000 patients are admitted to hospital in the United Kingdom each year with a diagnosis that reflects closed head injury. Such injuries are a major cause of deaths following accidents, especially those that involve children and young people, and they are also a major cause of handicap and morbidity among the survivors. This clinical condition is intrinsically a neurological one, but its proper evaluation demands an understanding of the associated psychology and psychopathology. At the same time, a major neurological condition with such a high level of incidence ought to be extremely informative about the functioning of the human brain and hence provide a major focus for neuropsychological investigation. In this book, the author seeks to integrate these two different perspectives by reviewing the clinical and neuropsychological aspects of closed head injury in a manner that is equally intelligible to researchers interested in the effects of brain damage upon human behaviour and to practitioners who are responsible for the assessment, management and rehabilitation of head-injured patients. This is the second edition of a book which was first published in 1990, and which has been extensively revised in the light of the subsequent research in the field. The book begins by considering the epidemiology, causes and structural neuropathology of closed head injury. It then considers the impact of closed head injury on memory, cognition, language, communication, personality and social behaviour. Finally it outlines the outcome, the mechanisms of recovery and the prospects for rehabilitation.

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.

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

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.

This book collects and synthesizes the latest thinking on the condition in its variety of cognitive and behavioral presentations, matched by a variety of clinical responses. Acknowledging the continuum of injury and the multi-stage nature of recovery, expert contributors review salient research data and offer clinical guidelines for the neuropsychologist working with TBI patients, detailing key areas of impairment, brief and comprehensive assessment methods and proven rehabilitation strategies. Taken together, these chapters provide a framework for best serving a wide range of TBI patients (including children, elders, and patients in multidisciplinary settings) and model treatment that is evidence-based and relevant. A sample of the topics featured in the Handbook: Bedside evaluations in TBI. Outcome assessment in TBI. Collaborating with family caregivers in the rehabilitation of persons with TBI. Behavioral assessment of acute neurobehavioral syndromes to inform treatment. Pediatric TBI: assessment, outcomes, intervention. Special issues with mild TBI in veterans and active duty service members. Expanding professional knowledge on a topic that continues to grow in importance, the Handbook on the Neuropsychology of Traumatic Brain Injury is a premier resource, not only for neuropsychologists but also for other professionals in cognitive care, and trainees entering the field.

"Luring readers in...with meticulously woven clinical vignettes, Holtz masterfully presents the mechanics and the art of neuropsychology....students will appreciate the historical roots of neuropsychology, [and] will understand the multiplex systems of current neuropsychological approaches..." -Nancy S. Koven, PhD Bates College "...there has not been an available text focusing on the application of the basic principles in clinical neuropsychological practice....Finally, a text is available to remedy this problem." -Dennis Andersen, MS, LMHC Eastern Washington University "A valuable introduction to the field of clinical neuropsychology and its terminology, this text fills a void. The reader gains an appreciation for the multifaceted role of the clinical neuropsychologist, not only as an assessor of cognitive functioning but also as a treatment professional." Lauren Littlefield, PhD, Washington College This breakthrough introductory text-unlike all other clinical neuropsychology textbooks on the market-introduces advanced undergraduate students and clinicians in training to the field by showing undergraduate students how clinical neuropsychologists actually practice their craft. The book uncovers the professional issues that clinical neuropsychologists deal with daily, including neurogenerative disorders, acquired disorders, ethical practice issues, interviewing, testing, prognosis and treatment planning, drug prescriptions, and more. Using case studies culled from the author's own clinical work, the book provides students with firsthand accounts of neuropsychology in action. As the first textbook to integrate real, practical applications of neuropsychology, it covers the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals with brain illness or injury, as opposed to examining brain structures and functions alone. This innovative, application-based approach to neuropsychology is guaranteed to give students a clear, comprehensive understanding of what neuropsychology is and what neuropsychologists do. Key features: Covers core concepts of neuropsychology, including neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, brain structure and function, and disorders of the central nervous system Includes application-based topics not covered in traditional texts, such as: differential diagnosis; individual, group, and family therapy; and psychopharmacology Discusses test theory and evaluation, examining tests of intellectual abilities, memory functioning, and more Extensive instructors' ancillary package available with test questions and nearly 100 illustrations in PowerPoint format

This accessible handbook focuses on the importance of neuropsychological evidence and the role of the neuropsychologist as expert witness in brain injury litigation. This thorough, evidence-based resource fosters discussion between the legal profession and expert neuropsychological witnesses. The chapters reflect collaborations between leading personal injury lawyers and neuropsychologists in the UK. Key issues in brain injury litigation are addressed that are essential to an understanding of the role of the neuropsychologist as expert witness and of neuropsychological evidence for the courts. These include neuropsychological testing, assessment of quantum, vocational rehabilitation, mental capacity, forensic outcomes, the frontal paradox, mild traumatic brain injury and more. Combining the scientific and legal background with practical tips and case examples, this book is valuable reading for legal professionals, particularly those working in personal injury and clinical negligence, as well as trainees, students and clinicians in the field of neuropsychology, neurorehabilitation and clinical psychology.

There are very few books available which are concerned with the unique communication problems that can come with traumatic brain injury (TBI). In recent years there has emerged a realisation that these difficulties in communication are closely tied to the cognitive, behavioural and social problems observed following traumatic brain injury. This is changing the way people with TBI are assessed and is generating new approaches to rehabilitation. This volume will be of interest to psychologists, speech pathologists and therapists and linguists. Clinicians and researchers working with people with traumatic brain injury, and their students, will find it a comprehensive source of contemporary approaches to characterising the communication problems of people with TBI and for planning rehabilitation.