Traumatic Brain Injury Research Paper

Wounds acquired during war and combat go way further than one can naturally see. Dr. Stephen Hunt, a …., says, “Folks returning from combat have a constellation of health concerns, including physical issues, psychological issues and psychosocial issues concerning things like work and family..” (….) which explains that veterans face a multitude of health effects and not just a physical injury. Provided that PTSD, mental illness, has been discussed in recent time, however other mental illness that military personnel acquire aren’t so known. Many of the categories in which classify as not adressed are mental illness all ranging from emotional and mental stability, but some also deal with the pain and illness unique to their

Traumatic brain injury occurs when a person is hit in the head with a blunt force. This significant force to the head can happen playing recreational sports, on the playground, being in a car or motorcycle accident, falling down at home and your head impacting something, a blast or explosion. Traumatic brain injuries are also the leading cause of fatality rate and disability, especially in children, young adults and elderly. TBI is a devastating condition that affects millions of people nationwide, because it can affect the nervous system permanently, it also messes with the neurological, musculoskeletal, cognitive and much more. TBI force a family to deal with not just the physical disability, with the behavioral and emotional roller

This papers purpose is to describe to the reader an Occupational therapy treatment plan and therapy session using the OTPF as its base to describe client’s performance. It is based off a case study of a 26 year old male racecar driver who suffered a traumatic brain injury and is now admitted into the hospitals ICU unit under a coma. The paper begins with a brief overview of the clients Injuries and occupational profile. It continues with goals that the therapist has set for the client and caregivers and concludes with the client’s treatment plan, along with a SOAP note which explains the client’s treatment and gives other healthcare workers information about the therapists goals and progress of the client

Since the military and VA healthcare systems are familiar with the high prevalence rate of PTSD among combat veterans, Capehart and Bass (2012) sought to address four primary objectives related to managing comorbid PTSD and TBI: cognitive problems, blast as an injury source for TBI, diagnosis and management of PTSD in the setting of mTBI, and management of additional neuropsychiatric comorbidity in the combat veteran with PTSD and mTBI. Although no clear guide exists on the simultaneous management of these conditions and managing PTSD and TBI remains challenging for the Dpartment of Defense (DOD) and VA clinicians in mental health and primary care, the researchers suggest that using psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy,

The mission statement of the VA Social Workers is to eliminate significant barriers to clients in need and offer interventions for veterans and families. It is accomplished by developing and maintaining integrated, in-depth programs in patient care, research, and education (Hoffer, Elizabeth. F., Dekle, Judith. Ward., & Sheets, Carol., 2014). Its proposed 11 percent to 20 percent of Iraq, Afghanistan veterans as well as 30 percent of Vietnam vets encounter (PTSD) posttraumatic stress disorder traumatic incidents like combat can lead to PTSD, military sexual trauma of military service member, and veterans may possibly deal with depression, anxiety in addition to other mental health concerns. Vets distress from these mental health and cognitive

A traumatic brain injury (“TBI”) occurs when the brain is somehow injured, rattled, or wounded from an external source of force. The means of acquisition and the severity of TBIs are unique to each patient; therefore, symptoms and rehabilitation can vary greatly depending on the patient’s condition following the incident and how they sustained the injury. The severity of a TBI is generally classified into one of three categories: mild, moderate, or severe, and this type of diagnostic criteria influences how a patient with TBI is treated by medical staff and rehabilitation specialists. TBIs can affect a specific part of the brain that was directly impacted, leaving the patients with only one or a few areas of impairment, or the damage can

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the military are a tangible threat to the men and women of the United States military. Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have created a spotlight on this injury, as the “signature injury”. Specific criteria makeup the definition of a TBI, which is certain symptoms and severity levels of those symptoms. Due to the capacity of this injury, the Department of Defense (DoD) and Congress have created mandates, along with treatment methods, and the ability to achieve an end goal of aiding an individual’s complete recovery.

The rehabilitation for people with traumatic brain injury is put into three different stages for medical care (Ross 40). These three stages are: inpatient, community integration, and lifetime of care. Each person’s rehabilitation process is different with the way they go through care. The healing process can last for months, or sometimes years. Those that go through the rehabilitation program function better than those that don’t. The two major goals are relearning and compensation.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that may develop after experiencing or seeing a traumatic or a brutal life threatening event. It is increasingly on the rise in war veterans. For those with PTSD only 53 percent have seen physicians or a mental health care provider. And for those who sought out care, roughly only 50 percent received adequate treatment when returning from combat. Although there are many treatments available most patients disregard the obvious signs of PTSD. Because some are afraid of the stigma of PTSD and being labeled as a crazy or violent person, If we create awareness and stop this ignorant notion, people with the disorder would

In other to make the treatment of TBI more comprehensive and holistic other system of care has been adopted. One of such system is the VA Polytrauma System of Care. Within the Polytrauma System of Care are Rehabilitation Centers which provides “direct care and consultation, as well as research and education related to polytrauma and TBI” (Bagalman, 2011). Each center is staffed with a “rehabilitation physician, registered nurses, social workers, speech-language pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, recreation therapists, a neuropsychologist, a counseling psychologist, and a family therapist, among others” (Bagalman, 2011) in other to provide a comprehensive care for veterans with TBI.

With all the rest required when recovering from a traumatic brain injury, there is a lot of productivity lost in the work place. This loss of productivity has also been shown to result lack of job stability. There is not any exact data on the amount of financial data lost due specifically to TBI, but the annual cost of acute care and rehabilitation as close to reaching 10 billion dollars (Vuadens 2006). The main focus of a study by Saltychev was about returning to work following a TBI. He was identifying factors that are able to predict successful employment after a traumatic injury. Four of the trials he explored were found had positive interventions with returning to work.

Each day clients engage in meaningful and purposive occupations that can be affected by a multitude of incidents that may either support or hinder a client’s ability to function. Traumatic injuries are just one example of incidents that may hinder a client’s occupational performance. Injury can often times lead clients to experience disruptions in their capacities to achieve full occupational performance. Clients who do experience diminished occupational performance can find support through an Occupational Therapist (OT). The OT will utilize a therapeutic decision making process to determine the most appropriate theory along with the client’s knowledge of his or her own needs and wishes to guide therapy. Employing and supporting the client as an advocate for their own needs can allow an OT to determine theories of practice that are best suited for the client’s return to wellbeing. An OT should first attempt to realize the needs and wishes of a client and once an understanding has evolved of what is meaningful to the client the therapist can assess performance skills and patterns that can be addressed by theories developed specifically for OT.

In their article, Depression and Cognitive Complaints Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Dr. Silver, Dr. McAllister, and Dr. Arciniegas (2009) states that “Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common occurrence with multiple possible neuropsychiatric sequelae, including problems with cognition, emotion, and behavior.” A traumatic brain injury is a physiological disruption of brain function due to the application of external physical force, including acceleration/deceleration forces. Neuropsychiatric sequelae, a term used to describe a cluster of post-TBI symptoms to include: cognitive, emotional, behavioral, physical, and psychosocial problems, is a significant source of disability in TBI survivors and their families. This review will examine symptoms of depression and cognitive impairment in individuals that have experienced a mild TBI, as well as the clinical approach to treating such people (Silver, McAllister, & Arciniegas, 2009).

My objective in the long term is to provide therapeutic and counseling services that assist persons suffering with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or acquired brain injury (ABI) in coping and recovering from the mental illnesses that often accompany such tragedies. TBI/ABI has shown a proven link with “anxiety, depression, personality changes, aggression (National Alliance on Mental Illness Veterans Resource Center May 8, 2009 Traumatic Brain Injury)”, as well as many other issues. As the caregiver for a survivor of a rare and deadly strain of encephalitis, I have a personal perspective that I feel brings much to the discussion. I see the information I am currently gathering at Empire State College as the building blocks that pave the way

Through my experience's, I have valued having the opportunity of devoting countless hours of direct care to patients who have acquired traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. It is the greatest honor to have the opportunity to care for others and for them to entrust in you- a complete stranger- to care for them when they are at their most vulnerable point. It is my passion to work with neurologically compromised patients and to be the hands that a person trusts when they need it most. I love and enjoy the interworking of the brain, structure, and understanding how each region of the brain responds once it is injured. Though my time at Craig I have had the opportunity to devote myself to patients when they do need in most, though the recovery and rehabilitation phases. I have encountered a vast array of different categories of brain injuries, different rancho level patients and have seen patient’s recovery when they have been at their lowest point in their lives. To this day, I still remember my hardest patients I have had and helped them back on their feet again.