COSIG CONFERENCE BROCHURE.pdf - Drexel University College ...

COSIG Co-Occurring Disorders Conference, Hershey PA, May 15-17, 2006
Mild TBI
What Happens With Mild
(or Minor) TBI?
• Lesser levels of brain damage
• Brief or no loss of consciousness
• Often referred to as “concussion”
Mild Injury is Important to
Discuss
• Long-term impact for 15%
• Don’t see that TBI is cause of deficits
• Repeated injury leads to problem emergence-
”second impact syndrome”
• 300,000 sports and recreational injuries
• CT, MRI and EEG are usually normal
Effects of Mild TBI: Outcomes
• Problems disappear on their own in about
85% of cases
• Compensatory skills acquired
• Education prevents emotional upset
(“shattered sense of self”)
Effects of Mild TBI: Outcomes
• Problems are not attributed to TBI
• Compensatory skills are not learned
• Best approach is early education and
information
How Common is TBI and Who
is the Typical Person with
TBI?
• Best rehab assessment is a neuropsychology
evaluation
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