Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
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Referral and Evaluation
A decision when to return to work/school/sports should be decided on a case by
case basis depending upon the "demands" placed on an individual in these
environments and the presenting type and severity of their associated symptoms.
General recommendations regarding return to athletic activity following mTBI are
included in this component.
Shurltleff, Massagli, Hays, Ross and Spruck, (1995)
have devised a screening battery of neuropsychological tests for children who do
not need inpatient rehabilitation. Their screening tool can provide educators,
physicians and parents sufficient information in a short period of time (often less
than one hour) to determine if a child is at risk for having problems upon return
to school. Similarly,
Ylvisaker, Feeney and Mullins (1995) have developed a
protocol for school re-entry that provides a method of evaluation and a system of
accomodations for the injured student.
Individuals with mTBI commonly have normal general medical and neurological examinations and neuroimaging studies (e.g.CT scan). Referral to a clinical neuropsychologist is recommended when there is a need for more detailed information about the nature, magnitude and extent of cognitive and "executive dysfunction".