Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Information for Returning Service Members

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Mild Traumatic Brain InjuryInformation for
Returning Service Members
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What do They Have In Common?

• Ryan Church-New York Mets outfielder
• George Clooney- actor/director
• Ben Roethlisberger-Pittsburgh Steelers
  quarterback
• Mike Wallace-journalist

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Answer

• They have had one or more mild traumatic brain
  injuries (concussions)
• They received medical and rehabilitation help and
  support
• They returned to work

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What is Traumatic Brain Injury?

• ..is caused by a blow to the head or a
  penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal
  function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to
  the head result in a TBI. The severity of a TBI
  may range from mild,
• a brief change in mental status or consciousness
  to severe, an extended period of
  unconsciousness or amnesia after injury
• Centers for Disease Control Prevention

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Mild Brain Injury is the most common type of
Brain Injury among civilians and service members

• About 80 of all civilian traumatic brain
  injuries are mild (CDC 2009)
• An estimated 11-20 of service members sustained
  a mild TBI/concussion while serving in OEF/OIF
  (US Army Surgeon General 2008, Hoge, et. al.
  2008, Taneilian and Jaycox 2008)

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Causes

• Civilians Falls, Motor vehicle accidents,
  assaults, struck by/against events (CDC 2009)
• Service Members (injured in combat) Blast
  exposure, gunshot wounds, falls and motor vehicle
  accidents (Defense and Veterans Brain Injury
  Center 2009)

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Question Does a person always get knocked out
or loose consciousness when they have a brain
injury?
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Answer No!!They may however experience a
period of feeling dazed, they may look fine, but
their brains have been knocked off line and are
unable to lay down new memories
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For Example..
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That first morning, wow, I didnt want to move,
I was thankful that nothings broken, but my
brain was all scrambled Ryan Church, New York
Times 3/10/08

• All he remembers from the collision with
  Anderson is the aftermath, being helped off the
  field by two people, although he said he did not
  know who they were until he saw a photograph
  later Ben Shpigel New York Times reporter

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Signs of Mild Traumatic brain Injury Early Signs

• confusion
• blank staring
• decreased response time for directions and/or
  answering questions
• dizziness/sensitivity to light and/or sound
• vomiting
• headache
• nausea

BIAA, Brain Injury Source Summer 2000, Vol.4,
Issue 2, 30-37
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For many, the symptoms go away within hours or
days.If they do not and/or an individual gets
another mild traumatic brain injury they may
experience additional symptoms.
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Signs of Mild Traumatic brain Injury Late Signs

• Persistent headache
• Poor attention
• Irritability/aggression
• Hearing problems
• Ringing in the ears
• Restlessness
• Depressed mood

• Decreased memory
• Sleep disturbances
• Fatigue and anxiety
• Blurry vision/visual problems
• Lightheadedness
• Difficulty making decisions

BIAA, Brain Injury Source Summer 2000, Vol.4,
Issue 2, 30-37
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When to seek help...

• If things that have always come easily to you,
  are harder, take longer, especially if your
  ability to multi-task is not what it was prior to
  the incident
• and/or
• your family, friends, fellow soldiers or
  superiors comment negatively on performance of
  duties, your responsiveness to new situations and
  ability to communicate.

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Per Army Behavioral Health, individuals concerned
about lingering symptoms can...

• Speak to a chaplain
• Go to their installation Department of Behavioral
  Health or Community or Division Mental Health
  (www.behavioralhealth.army.mil) as well as...
• Thoroughly respond to the questions asked in the
  Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA). Several
  items screen for possible traumatic brain injury

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The Good News, with treatment and time the brain
can heal!
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Suggested services/strategies may include...

• Consultation with a neurologist and or a
  neuropsychologist
• Work with a speech, occupational, and or physical
  therapist as recommended by medical personnel
• Scheduling breaks/down time
• Minimize alcohol intake as it can depress brain
  cell growth/regeneration after injury
• Follow physician's recommendations for physical
  exercise-it supports brain health

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Resources

• Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center
  1-800-870-9244 www.dvbic.org. Check out video
  Survive, Thrive Alive on brain injury and
  treatment and recovery of several injured service
  members.
• Brain Injury Association of America 703-236-6000,
  www.biausa.org
• Brain Injury Association of Maryland
  410-448-2924, www.biamd.org
• Ohio Valley Center For Brain Injury Prevention
  and Rehabilitation, 614-293-3802,
  www.ohiovalley.org.
• www.headinjury.com. Good resource for memory
  aides and tips

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A Product of the Maryland TBI Partnership
Implementation Project, a collaborative effort
between the Maryland Mental Hygiene
Administration, the Mental Health Management
Agency of Frederick County and the Howard County
Mental Health Authority2006-2009

• Support is provided in part by project
  H21MC06759 from the Maternal and Child Health
  Bureau (title V, Social Security Act), Health
  Resources and Services Administration, Department
  of Health and Human Service
• This is in the public domain. Please duplicate
  and distribute widely

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Anastasia EdmonstonProject Directoraedmonston_at_d
hmh.state.md.us410-402-8478