Mild Brain Injury (MBI) is a disease that is commonly caused by a significant blow to the head from a sports-related injury, motor vehicle accident, an accidental fall, or an assault. Although the majority of concussive injuries improve through natural recovery, others require medical and rehabilitative efforts to manage lingering symptoms.
Other causes of mild brain injury, such as a loss of oxygen to the brain, intracranial bleeding, or surgical procedures for an aneurysm or brain tumor, will require specialized interventions as well. In either case, the moderate changes in a person’s thinking, emotional or physical abilities that occur can significantly impact everyday life.
The Mild Brain Injury Program is designed to rehabilitate individuals sustaining a recent brain injury or to work with those whose longstanding MBI related symptoms have not resolved. Best outcomes occur when MBI is treated immediately, clear information is provided and consistent follow-up services are offered. However, for those who have not received such care and their symptoms remain, there is much that can be done to improve daily functioning.
Our comprehensive, coordinated treatment approach utilizes a team of rehabilitation experts, ensuring the best in MBI treatment.
We encourage you to contact us with any questions about these programs or as a resource in your medical decision-making. Please call 410-601-1199 to speak with our MBI Case Manager.
Symptoms of Mild Brain Injury
Treatment Approach
Rehabilitation Experts and Programs
Admission Process
Resources
Symptoms of Mild Brain Injury
The following are problems that people may experience after a mild brain injury:
*Poor concentration *Irritability *Constant tiredness
*Memory problems *Headaches *Confused thinking
*Dizziness *Blurry vision *Sensitivity to bright light
*Depression *Anxiety *Sleep disturbance
Depending on the type and location of the brain injury, you may experience some or all of these changes. Doctors who treat brain injuries agree that one of the most important factors in recovery is knowing what to expect and what to do about the symptoms.
Not everyone recovers at the same rate or has the same outcome. One’s age and health status may impact recuperation. Having previous concussions will complicate this process, as well. Most physicians who treat these conditions agree that recovery is faster when the patient gets enough rest during the weeks following injury. Work, exercise, social activities, and family responsibilities should be started gradually, not all at once.
Talking to a doctor about your symptoms is extremely important, as she can prescribe medication and therapies that can help the recovery process. The benefit of early detection and treatment of mild brain injury symptoms cannot be overstated.
Treatment Approach
The Mild Brain Injury Program at Sinai Rehabilitation Center is designed to thoroughly diagnose and treat the various symptoms of MBI. Early in recovery, medical care should focus on promoting proper rest and sleep, reducing pain from headaches or other sources, managing visual changes, and treating balance issues for safety purposes. Following this approach, the vast majority of people with MBI show dramatic improvement in cognitive abilities (memory, thinking, and concentration) in the first month after injury.
For those individuals whose cognition or other symptoms do not improve after a few months, various therapies can be employed to promote recovery and restore function. The key in treating such lingering symptoms of MBI is the careful understanding of why progress is limited. It may be a direct result of the area of the brain injured or the indirect effects of poor sleep, visual changes or headaches. One’s psychological reactions to the trauma may also play a negative role in a less than optimal recovery.
Using a comprehensive diagnostic approach, the Mild Brain Injury Program at LifeBridge Health will assist you in understanding the root causes and provide the full complement of treatment options necessary for recovery. Our multi-disciplinary treatment team works closely together to decide on a collaborative clinical approach and reviews progress regularly during patient care conferences. The goal in this effort is to improve your everyday life and allow you greater satisfaction in all your pursuits.
Rehabilitation Experts and Programs
Our comprehensive, coordinated team of rehabilitation experts work together to provide the advanced resources, expertise, and comprehensive care necessary to treat persons with mild brain injury. Our program is based on the view that every individual deserves compassionate, personalized attention throughout the continuum of care, from diagnosis and treatment to recovery and rehabilitation. Your team of specialists may include any or all of the following:
Physiatrist
A medical doctor who is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. This physician oversees rehabilitation efforts and manages physical symptoms that impact recovery and well-being.
Neurologist
A physician who specializes in neurology, and is trained to investigate, or diagnose and treat neurological disorders such as brain injury and stroke.
Neuropsychologist
A specially trained psychologist who evaluates brain functioning after an injury, particularly a person’s thinking and perceptual skills. Neuropsychology can pinpoint areas of decline and make treatment recommendations to improve functional abilities. They also provide a psychological viewpoint to the treatment process, to understand the impact of psychological factors on recovery.
Case Manager
The case manager works with the interdisciplinary team to assess, plan and co-ordinate your care and provide education and resources to ensure positive outcomes.
Speech Language Pathology (SLP)
The SLP assess and treats deficits in cognitive-communicative impairments, including attention/concentration, memory, abstract reasoning, and problem-solving related to brain injury. Primary goals are to improve speed of information processing, thought organization, initiation and decision-making skills. Teaching specific strategies to promote a successful return to school and/or work is a major focus of treatment.
Occupational Therapy (OT)
An occupational therapist seeks to improve an individual’s ability to participate in activities of everyday life. After a mild brain injury, fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination and other visual and motor functioning may be diminished. The OT will develop a treatment plan that improves brain function in these areas.
Physical Therapy (PT)
The role of the PT is to evaluate physical abilities such as balance, endurance, strength, range of motion and mobility. A frequent, but overlooked problem after a concussion is change in an individual’s vestibular system, which regulates the body’s ability to balance and know its spatial positioning. Our physical therapists have specialized training in Vestibular Stimulation and can develop a treatment plan to improve dizziness and balance deficits.
Psychology/Counseling
The psychologists helps people with moderate psychological problems—such as the depression, anxiety, relationship stressors and other reactions to the life changes brought about by brain injury/stroke. Treatment includes education for the patient and family and help with adjustment to disability.
Driving Training and Evaluation
An occupational therapist provides clinical and on-the-road assessments of vision, reaction time, thinking skills, memory, and physical function to determine one’s ability to safely drive in the community. Behind-the-wheel training and recommendations for adaptive equipment are also available, if needed.
Sleep Disorder Center
The
Sinai Sleep Center provides an overnight evaluation where sleep disorders can be diagnosed and treatment recommendations made by sleep medicine specialists.
Neuro-Ophthalmology
Neuro-ophthalmologists of Sinai’s Kreiger Eye Institute evaluate patients from a neurologic, ophthalmologic, and medical viewpoint. They specialize treating a wide variety of visual problems resulting from concussive events.
Pain Management
There is often no single treatment that can cure pain. Our multidisciplinary team will incorporate your medical history in identifying the cause of the pain and develop a holistic treatment plan. A wide range of treatment options may be utilized focusing on providing primary pain relief, but also improved function and quality of life.
Additional Resources:
RETURN! Community Reentry Program
RETURN! To Work Vocational Reentry
Admission Process
Persons seeking treatment for Mild Brain Injury (MBI) are encouraged to call our case manager at 410-601-1199 or e-mail directly. An initial interview with the case manager will be arranged to gather information and determine if the program can meet the needs of the individual. Following this screening, the person will be scheduled with the program physician for a thorough medical examination.
A neuropsychological evaluation will also be arranged at that time, if indicated. The results of these evaluations will provide a “road map” for the additional rehabilitation services that may be prescribed.
The rehabilitation team collaborates with the person seeking treatment on an ongoing basis, sharing goals and making revisions to the treatment plan, as needed. Discharge planning is initiated at the time of intake and is integrated into the program on an ongoing basis.
Contact Us:
Sinai Rehabilitation Center
Schoeneman Building
2401 West Belvedere Ave.
Baltimore, Md 21215
410-601-8823
RESOURCES
Brain Injury Association of Maryland, Inc.
A private, non-profit state affiliate of the Brain Injury Association of America. BIAM’s mission is to create a better future through brain injury prevention, education, advocacy and promotion of research.
2200 Kernan Drive
Baltimore, MD 21207
410-448-2924
Toll Free 1-800-221-6443
Fax 410-448-3541
info@biamd.org
www.biamd.org
Brain Injury Association of America, Inc.
National organization dedicated to people with brain injury and their families. Offers research, education, and advocacy programs through a national office, network of state affiliates, support groups, and a helpline.
1608 Spring Hill Rd
Suite 110
Vienna, VA 22182
braininjuryinfo@biausa.org
http://www.biausa.org
Tel: 703-761-0750 800-444-6443
Fax: 703-761-0755
Brain Trauma Foundation
Nationwide organization devoted to improving the outcome of traumatic brain injury patients. Focuses on the acute phase of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and methods to improve chances of a meaningful recovery. The Foundation works to improve the care of TBI patients from the scene of injury to the emergency room and ICU through guidelines development, professional education, quality improvement, and clinical research.
415 Madison Avenue
14th Floor
New York, NY 10017
http://www.braintrauma.org
Tel: 212-772-0608
Fax: 212-772-0357
Family Caregiver Alliance/ National Center on Caregiving
Supports and assists families and caregivers of adults with debilitating health conditions. Offers programs and consultation on caregiving issues at local, state, and national levels. Offers free publications and support online, including a national directory of publicly funded caregiver support programs.
180 Montgomery Street
Suite 1100
San Francisco, CA 94104
info@caregiver.org
http://www.caregiver.org
Tel: 415-434-3388 800-445-8106
Fax: 415-434-3508
National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)
8201 Corporate Drive
Suite 600
Landover, MD 20785
naricinfo@heitechservices.com
http://www.naric.com
Tel: 301-459-5900/301-459-5984 (TTY) 800-346-2742
Fax: 301-562-2401
National Stroke Association
National non-profit organization that offers education, services and community-based activities in prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and recovery. Serves the public and professional communities, people at risk, patients and their health care providers, stroke survivors, and their families and caregivers.
9707 East Easter Lane
Suite B
Centennial, CO 80112-3747
info@stroke.org
http://www.stroke.org
Tel: 303-649-9299 800-STROKES (787-6537)
Fax: 303-649-1328
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)
U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
400 Maryland Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20202-7100
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr
Tel: 202-245-7460 202-245-7316 (TTY)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30333,
USA
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: (888) 232-6348, 24 Hours/Every Day -
cdcinfo@cdc.gov