Cognitive rehabilitation for military personnel with mild traumatic brain injury and chronic post-concussional disorder: Results of April 2009 consensus conference
Issue title: Military Traumatic Brain Injury and Blast
Guest editors: David F. Moorexy and Michael S. Jaffeex
Affiliations: Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological, Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, 1335 East West Highway, 9th Floor, Suite 400, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA. E-mail: Katherine.Helmick@tma.osd.mil | [x] Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA | [y] Institute of Soldier Nanotechnology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
Note: [1] (see Appendix B)
Abstract: A consensus conference on cognitive rehabilitation for mild traumatic brain injury was conducted by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury and the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. Fifty military and civilian subject matter experts from a broad range of clinical and scientific disciplines developed clinical guidance for the care of Service Members with persistent post-concussion cognitive symptoms three or more months post injury. "Cognitive rehabilitation" was identified to be a broad group of diverse services. Specific services within this rubric were identified as effective or not, and were evaluated both as single-services and as combined integrated cognitive rehabilitation programs. Co-morbidities were acknowledged and addressed, but the conference and ensuing guidance focused primarily upon treatment of cognitive impairment. Guidance regarding effective services addressed the areas of assessment, intervention, outcome measurement, and treatment program implementation.
