Part 1

• Brain Structure and Function: Brain Regions Vulnerable to Trauma.

• The Brain, Trauma, and Behavior: How Brain Trauma Compromises Perception, Thinking, Attention, Emotion, and Memory.

• Major Forms of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): The Skull, Meninges, and Cortex.

• Predicting Recovery After TBI: Assessment and Prognosis; Gauging Disability.

• Neurologic Sequelae after Brain Injury: Post-Traumatic Amnesia, Persistent Vegetative State, and Minimally Conscious State.

• Traumatic Brain Injury and Dementia: Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

• Penetrating Brain Injury: Gunshot Wounds and Projectile Injuries.

Part 2

• Combat-Related Blast TBI’s: The Signature Injury of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Traumatic Dental Injuries and Brain Trauma: Treatment and Outcomes.

• Rehabilitation from Severe TBI: Acute Care, Inpatient and Outpatient Rehab, Residential and Community Re-Entry, Long-Term Assisted Living.

• Traumatic Brain Injury in Children: Risks, Causes, and Outcomes. Shaken Baby Syndrome.

• Diagnosing a Concussion: Signs and Symptoms.

• Sports-Related Concussions: Sideline Evaluations and Management; Understanding and Avoiding “Second Impact Syndrome.”

• Protecting NFL Players: The NFL Concussion Management Protocol.

• Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: Ignorance, Deception, and Tragedy.

• High School and College Football: Helmets, Concussions, and Cognitive Impairment.

• Preventing Head Trauma: Motor Vehicle Accidents, Falls, Sports Injuries, and Equestrian Accidents.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the brain structures and functions that are most vulnerable to trauma.
2. Outline the major steps in assessing patients with brain trauma and predicting disability.
3. Discuss key clinical features of concussions, penetrating head injuries, and blast injuries.
4. Describe the relationship between brain trauma and dementing illness such as Alzheimer’s and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
5. Outline the rehabilitation strategies most likely to improve outcomes in patients with brain trauma.
6. Discuss the practical steps to prevent brain trauma from motor vehicle accidents, falls, and sports.
7. Describe how the information in this course can be utilized to improve patient care and patient outcomes.
8. Describe for this course, the implications for nursing, dentistry, mental health, and other health professions.