This important book describes the biopsychosocial nature of persisting and complex headache presentations following a mild brain trauma and offers a predominantly cognitive behavioural therapy programme to guide patients toward better health and less pain. The book provides both a robust theoretical underpinning and practical therapeutic guidance for helping those who suffer from posttraumatic headaches. Placing physical symptoms of trauma in context with personal and social issues, it discusses the broader psychological implications at work after brain injury, including the idea that headaches play a functional role for the patient. Updated with the latest research findings, the book features clinical guidelines, practitioner worksheets and relaxation scripts, offering an all-inclusive manual for therapists setting up their own programmes. Written with the busy clinician in mind, it is essential reading for anyone working with brain trauma survivors.

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.

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.

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 (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

A comprehensive guide for improving memory, focus, and quality of life in the aftermath of a concussion. Often presenting itself after a head trauma, concussion— or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)— can cause chronic migraines, depression, memory, and sleep problems that can last for years, referred to as post concussion syndrome (PCS). Neuropsychologist and concussion survivor Dr. Diane Roberts Stoler is the authority on all aspects of the recovery process. Coping with Concussion and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury is a lifeline for patients, parents, and other caregivers.

This book provides a detailed overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of both primary headaches – migraine, tension-type headache (TTH), and cluster headache – and the very important and frequent type of secondary headache, medication overuse headache (MOH). After an introductory chapter describing relevant neuroanatomy and vascular anatomy, the evidence gained from animal models regarding the pathophysiology of migraine and the other primary headaches is reviewed. Knowledge of the genetic component in the different types of headache is then examined with reference to recent evidence, for example regarding the implication of the trigeminovascular system and cortical spreading depression in migraine. Detailed information is provided on insights into primary headaches from imaging studies, including functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography and on their neurophysiology and biochemistry. A further series of important chapters describe present knowledge of the pathophysiology of each specific type of headache and consider future directions. Written by acknowledged experts in their fields from Europe and the United States, clinicians and students will find Pathophysiology of Headaches to be an excellent source of up-to-date information on why patients experience headaches. In addition, it will be of value for pain researchers investigating the underlying mechanisms of headache.

Sports concussions make headlines, but you don't have to be an NFL star to suffer traumatic brain injury. In Shaken Brain, Elizabeth Sandel, MD, shares stories and research from her decades treating and studying brain injuries. She explains what concussions do to our bodies, how to avoid them, and how to recover.

Mild traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI or Concussion) is an increasingly common public health issue in sports, military environments, and life in today's active world. Despite a great deal of study and public attention to this disorder, knowledge about optimal diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment information remains lacking. Neurosensory symptoms have been shown to be the most frequent complications of mTBI in both the acute and chronic setting. Neurosensory Disorders in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury brings together both the basic science work as well as the clinical work in mTBI into one volume to provide a comprehensive examination of the neurosensory issues associated with this disorder. Coverage includes chapters on defining mild Traumatic Brain Injury, neurosensory consequences, neurosensory disorders in clinical practice, and diagnosis and treatment for neurosensory disorders in mTBI. This book is written for clinicians, researchers, residents and students in neurology and neuroscience. - Provides a comprehensive examination of the neurosensory issues associated with mild Traumatic Brain Injury and concussion - Brings together both the basic science work and the clinical work in mTBI into a single volume - Helps clinicians understand the best diagnosis and treatment paths and puts current research into perspective for researchers

Since October 2001, approximately 1.64 million U.S. troops have been deployed for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) in Afghanistan and Iraq. Early evidence suggests that the psychological toll of these deployments -- many involving prolonged exposure to combat-related stress over multiple rotations -- may be disproportionately high compared with the physical injuries of combat. In the face of mounting public concern over post-deployment health care issues confronting OEF/OIF veterans, several task forces, independent review groups, and a Presidential Commission have been convened to examine the care of the war wounded and make recommendations. Concerns have been most recently centered on two combat-related injuries in particular: post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. With the increasing incidence of suicide and suicide attempts among returning veterans, concern about depression is also on the rise. The study discussed in this monograph focuses on post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and traumatic brain injury, not only because of current high-level policy interest but also because, unlike the physical wounds of war, these conditions are often invisible to the eye, remaining invisible to other servicemembers, family members, and society in general. All three conditions affect mood, thoughts, and behavior; yet these wounds often go unrecognized and unacknowledged. The effect of traumatic brain injury is still poorly understood, leaving a large gap in knowledge related to how extensive the problem is or how to address it. RAND conducted a comprehensive study of the post-deployment health-related needs associated with these three conditions among OEF/OIF veterans, the health care system in place to meet those needs, gaps in the care system, and the costs associated with these conditions and with providing quality health care to all those in need. This monograph presents the results of our study, which should be of interest to mental health treatment providers; health policymakers, particularly those charged with caring for our nation's veterans; and U.S. service men and women, their families, and the concerned public. All the research products from this study are available at http://veterans.rand.org. Data collection for this study began in April 2007and concluded in January 2008. Specific activities included a critical reviewof the extant literature on the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and traumatic brain injury and their short- and long-term consequences; a population-based survey of service members and veterans who served in Afghanistan or Iraq to assess health status and symptoms, as well asutilization of and barriers to care; a review of existing programs to treat service members and veterans with the three conditions; focus groups withmilitary service members and their spouses; and the development of a microsimulation model to forecast the economic costs of these conditions overtime. Among our recommendations is that effective treatments documented in the scientific literature -- evidence-based care -- are available for PTSD and major depression. Delivery of such care to all veterans with PTSD or majordepression would pay for itself within two years, or even save money, by improving productivity and reducing medical and mortality costs. Such care may also be a cost-effective way to retain a ready and healthy military force for the future. However, to ensure that this care is delivered requires system-level changes across the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. health care system.