Brain Injury Help Blog

Signature Wound

According to a report commissioned by the U. S Department of Veterans Affairs, Traumatic Brain Injury (tbI) has become the signature wound of the recent war on terror. As of January 2008, more than 5,500 U.S. military personnel had suffered traumatic brain injury in Iraq and Afghanistan as a result of the widespread use against them of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Although more research is needed, military troops in Afghanistan and Iraq who have suffered from head injuries face a daunting array of potential medical consequences later on.

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What a Family Can for a TBI Family Member

There are many suggestions for family members on how to deal with the traumatically brain injured, (TBI). Recovery for the Brain Injured is facilitated by the love and care of family members who also need to learn how to deal with the changes in behavior the brain injured experience. As a (TBI ) patient moves through different Cognitive levels of recovery, known as Rancho Levels, some of the following suggestions published by the Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center may be helpful.

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How to Choose a Rehabilitation Center for the Traumatically Brain Injured

Choosing a Rehabilitation Center for the Traumatically Brain Injured (TBI) can be a critical and difficult decision. Since the overall goal of rehabilitation is to help the survivor function at home and in society, it is important for the TBI patient, and their family’s to select the most appropriate rehabilitation center for their needs. There are many paths to rehabilitation which is a crucial part of the recovery process for Brain Injured patients. Some of the rehabilitation options include home-based rehabilitation, hospital outpatient rehabilitation, inpatient rehabilitation centers, comprehensive day programs at rehabilitation centers, supportive living programs, independent living centers, club-house programs, school based programs for children, and others.

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Recovery from a Traumatic Brain Injury is different for each patient.

The Rancho Los Amigos Levels are an assessment tool based on observation of the patient during the recovery stages as he responds to environmental stimuli. Rancho Levels evaluate Cognitive Functioning –basically thinking or memory skills. Since any type of brain injury can affect cognitive skills, Rancho Levels provide a description of the various behavioral stages a head injury victim will experience as he begins to progress through recovery toward rehabilitation.

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Faith and TBI

How does faith affect the Traumatically Brain Injured? Whether it’s the economy, personal tragedy, or healing, worldwide test results are the same—Those who have faith seem to heal faster.

In two studies led by Assistant Psychology Professor Michael Inzlicht, participants performed a Stroop task which assesses cognitive control. Comparing believers against non-believers, religious participants showed significantly less anxiety.



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Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) have a nickname.... the "silent epidemic."

Dubbed the "walking wounded" Jonathan Lifshitz, an assistant professor at the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center says there are countless numbers of Americans, "who look just fine on the outside, but who aren’t the same on the inside.”

Official numbers underestimate the actual problems of TBI since initial injuries are often dismissed as a bump on the head. A TBI can do significant damage without leaving any visible signs. Safety equipment like seatbelts, air bags, safety helmets have made great advancements in recent years, yet evidence indicates that over the last 10 years, TBI's are actually on the rise. According to Lifshitz, "people who once would have died from injuries in an accident now live, but with badly wounded brains."

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