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.

The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) administers two disability programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), for disabled individuals, and their dependent family members, who have worked and contributed to the Social Security trust funds, and Supplemental Security Income (SSSI), which is a means-tested program based on income and financial assets for adults aged 65 years or older and disabled adults and children. Both programs require that claimants have a disability and meet specific medical criteria in order to qualify for benefits. SSA establishes the presence of a medically-determined impairment in individuals with mental disorders other than intellectual disability through the use of standard diagnostic criteria, which include symptoms and signs. These impairments are established largely on reports of signs and symptoms of impairment and functional limitation. Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination considers the use of psychological tests in evaluating disability claims submitted to the SSA. This report critically reviews selected psychological tests, including symptom validity tests, that could contribute to SSA disability determinations. The report discusses the possible uses of such tests and their contribution to disability determinations. Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination discusses testing norms, qualifications for administration of tests, administration of tests, and reporting results. The recommendations of this report will help SSA improve the consistency and accuracy of disability determination in certain cases.

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.

The go-to resource for clinical and forensic practice has now been significantly revised with 85% new material, reflecting the tremendous growth of the field. Leading authorities synthesize the state of the science on symptom feigning in cognitive testing and present evidence-based recommendations for distinguishing between credible and noncredible performance. A wide range of performance validity tests (PVTs) and symptom validity tests (SVTs) are critically reviewed and guidelines provided for applying them across differing cognitive domains and medical, neurological, and psychiatric conditions. The book also covers validity testing in forensic settings and with particular populations, such as ethnic and linguistic minority group members. New to This Edition *Numerous new authors, a greatly expanded range of topics, and the latest data throughout. *"Clinical primer" chapter on how to select and interpret appropriate PVTs. *Chapters on methods for validity testing in visual–spatial, processing speed, and language domains and with cognitive screening instruments and personality inventories. *Chapter on methods for interpreting multiple PVTs in combination. *Chapters on additional populations (military personnel, children and adolescents) and clinical problems (dementia, somatoform/conversion disorder). *Chapters on research methods for validating PVTs, base rates of feigned mild traumatic brain injury, and more.

New edition, completely rewritten, with new chapters on endovascular surgery and mitochrondrial and ion channel disorders.

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

Written by top practitioners in the field of neuropsychological screening, Screening for Brain Impairment is the extensively updated new edition of the classic resource. Valuable to a broad range of medical and mental health practitioners, this new edition reflects enormous changes to the field over the past 13 years. Each chapter contains updated information and new empirical data, including extensive information on neurological and psychiatric disorders, adult attention deficit disorder, and screening for and assessing the emotional correlates of brain impairment. Also included are new chapters on computerized assessment and developing relations with other professionals, including clinical neuropsychologists, neurologists, primary care physicians, neurosurgeons, and psychiatrists.

Updated annually with the latest developments in diagnosis and treatment recommendations, Ferri’s Clinical Advisor uses the popular "5 books in 1" format to organize vast amounts of information in a clinically relevant, user-friendly manner. This efficient, intuitive format provides quick access to answers on more than 900 common medical conditions, including diseases and disorders, differential diagnoses, and laboratory tests – all updated by experts in key clinical fields. Updated algorithms and current clinical practice guidelines help you keep pace with the speed of modern medicine. Contains significant updates throughout, with more than 500 new figures, tables, and boxes added to this new edition. Features 17 all-new topics including opioid overdose, obesity-Hypoventilation syndrome, acute pelvic pain in women, new-onset seizures, and eosinophilic esophagitis, among many others. Provides current ICD-10 insurance billing codes to help expedite insurance reimbursements. Includes cross-references, outlines, bullets, tables, boxes, and algorithms to help you navigate a wealth of clinical information. Offers access to exclusive online content: more than 90 additional topics; new algorithms, images, and tables; EBM boxes; patient teaching guides, color images, and more.

This revised and updated second edition provides a practical and structured overview of some of the most commonly used and easily available cognitive screening instruments applicable in the outpatient clinic and bedside setting. It now includes additional chapters on AD8 and also methodological aspects of systematic cognitive screening instrument assessment from the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group. Expert authors from around the world equip the reader with clear instructions on the usage of each screening instrument, its strengths and weaknesses, and the time required for administration. Rules on scoring are also provided, such as how to correct for variations in the patient’s age or education, and suggested cut-off scores. Cognitive Screening Instruments: A Practical Approach, Second Edition is aimed at both clinicians and professionals in disciplines allied to medicine who are called upon to assess patients with possible cognitive disorders, including neurologists, old age psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, primary care physicians, dementia support workers, and members of memory assessment teams.

This Compendium is a comprehensive reference manual containing an extensive selection of instruments developed to measure signs and symptoms commonly encountered in neurological conditions, both progressive and non-progressive. It provides a repository of established instruments, as well as newly-developed scales, and covers all aspects of the functional consequences of acquired brain impairment. In particular, the text provides a detailed review of approximately 150 specialist instruments for the assessment of people with neurological conditions such as dementia, multiple sclerosis, stroke and traumatic brain injury. Part A presents scales examining body functions, including consciousness and orientation; general and specific cognitive functions; regulation of behaviour, thought, and emotion; and motor-sensory functions. Part B reviews scales of daily living activities and community participation. Part C focuses on contextual factors, specifically environmental issues, and Part D contains multidimensional and quality of life instruments. Each instrument is described in a stand-alone report using a uniform format. A brief history of the instrument's development is provided, along with a description of item content and administration/scoring procedures. Psychometric properties are reviewed and a critical commentary is provided. Key references are cited and in most cases the actual scale is included, giving the reader easy access to the instrument. The structure of the book directly maps onto the taxonomy of the influential International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (World Health Organization, 2001), enabling linkage of clinical concepts across health conditions. The Compendium will be a valuable reference for clinicians, researchers, educators, and graduate students, and a practical resource for those involved in the assessment of people with brain impairment. The book is accompanied by a password protected website. For a one-off payment, purchasers of the book can gain online access to the majority of the tests, scales and questionnaires featured in the book as downloadable PDFs. See inside the book for more details.