The effects of a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, can sometimes cause behavioral changes that can be misunderstood if the person also has other issues like substance abuse or depression.
For community professionals like you — whether you are a physician, mental health professional, substance abuse counselor, aging agency staff, or case manager — knowing if your patient has had a brain injury is crucial to how you diagnose and treat other physical and psychological issues he or she may have. You may not be an expert in brain injury, but you will want to identify the symptoms of a brain injury to help with your treatment plan. In some cases, you may want to send your patient for further, more comprehensive assessment.
Here is a concise, easy-to-use TBI screening tool to help you determine if your patient has had a TBI. Screening results will indicate how likely it is that a past history of TBI is affecting your patient's behavior today.
© 2009, the Ohio Valley Center for Brain Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation. All rights reserved. www.ohiovalley.org. Produced with support from www.BrainLine.org.