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BrainLine News - November 2008

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In This Issue

- Did You Know?
- Resources and Events
- Research and News
- Ideas For Caregivers
- Inspiring Stories

Did You Know?

Exclusive New Webcast from BrainLine
BrainLine’s latest webcast — "After the Injury: Acute Care and TBI" — features Dr. Jeffrey Bazarian, Dr. James Ecklund, and Dr. Maria Mouratidis. Learn about the medical care provided following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) — from the first moments in an emergency room to the collaboration between the family and medical team to create an individual treatment plan. As Dr. Mouratidis, a neuropsychologist from National Naval Medical Center, says at the end of the show, "There is hope, and hope is renewed everyday.... The ability of the body, the mind, and the spirit to overcome is tremendous."
Watch webcast >>

Caregiving Across the States
Do you sometimes feel frustrated trying to find support programs in your state? The Family Caregiver Alliance has created an interactive map that makes locating this information easier. With this tool, you can find resources from the National Family Caregiver Support Program, information on Aged/Disabled Medicaid waivers, and more.
Read more >>

Peer Mentors Can Offer Help and Empowerment
Learn why social peer mentoring is so important, not only for the person newly affected by traumatic brain injury but also for the mentor sharing his or her experiences. "Making Connections After Brain Injury: A Guide for Social Peer Mentors" offers ideas, strategies, and encouragement. The guide was created by Baylor College of Medicine through a grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.
Read more >>

Resources and Events

Tune in Live To Hear Christopher Nowinski Talk About Brain Donations and the Dangers of Cumulative Concussions
This live event, to be held at 2pm (EST), Friday, November 7 through WebEx, will feature Christopher Nowinski, former Harvard football player and pro wrestler. Forced into early retirement by brain injuries sustained during his career, he co-founded the Sports Legacy Institute to study the effects of cumulative concussions. He has been asking families of deceased National Football League players to donate the brains of their loved ones for research; and recently, 12 additional sports figures also agreed to donate their brains. Chris will share his story and answer your questions during this live presentation. You will also be one of the first to learn about what BrainLine has to offer. All you need to participate is a computer and access to the internet. Please email info@brainline.org to receive login information.

Find Answers About Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD is a complicated disorder that can manifest differently from person to person. Find answers to frequently asked questions in this fact sheet produced by the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Read more >>

Blast Injuries: TBI, PTSD, and Pain Workshop
The Association of Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback's 2008 Fall Workshop — "Blast Injuries: TBI, PTSD, and Pain" — will provide participants with the latest information about how to serve veterans who are suffering from blast injuries and related conditions including TBI, PTSD, and chronic pain. This year's workshop will be held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, November 7-8.
Register here >>

Research and News

New Report: Traumatic Brain Injury Among Prisoners
The prevalence of traumatic brain injury in prison populations has not been well recognized yet, and is a significant public health problem. This new report published in Brain Injury Professional reveals the importance of professionals from the brain injury and criminal justice fields collaborating more closely in an effort to better manage offenders while they are in prison and to help them reintegrate into the community once released.
Read more >>

DVBIC Partners with America's Heroes at Work
For injured veterans, finding success and satisfaction in the workplace can play a significant role on the path to recovery. Recently, the Department of Labor rolled out America's Heroes at Work, a project created to equip employers with the tools they need to help service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with TBI and/or PTSD succeed in the workplace.
Read more >>

Ideas For Caregivers

Let Technology Work for Your Loved One
Does your loved one with traumatic brain injury struggle with the small keys on a standard computer keyboard? Would a specially programmed keyboard for one-handed typing help? Would a speech recognition system make communication easier? "Computer Access and Adaptation," written by specialists at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, offers suggestions and solutions for anyone considering assistive technology.
Read more >>

Inspiring Stories

Exclusive BrainLine Video: A Military Couple Shares Their Story
An interview with Sarah Wade and retired Army Sergeant Edward "Ted" Wade. Following the attacks of September 11, Ted was called on to serve first in Afghanistan and later in Iraq. On February 14, 2004, his humvee was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on a mission in Al Mahmudiyah. He sustained a severe TBI, suffered a transhumeral traumatic amputation, multiple fractured bones, soft tissue shrapnel injuries, and complications due to acute anemia, hypergycemia, and infections. Though SGT Wade remained in a coma for more two months, and withdrawal of life support was discussed, he made a remarkable recovery. Transcript of this Video.
November 24, 2008

In honor of Veterans Day and National Caregivers Month, watch retired Army Sergeant Ted Wade and his wife, Sarah, share their experiences navigating the path to recovery after Ted sustained a severe TBI in combat in Iraq.
Watch video >>

Read How One Mother Found Help Caring for Her Son with a Brain Injury
When she couldn't lift her son out of the taxi on the way home from the rehabilitation hospital, this resourceful mother asked a stranger for help. That volunteer was the first of hundreds to help Scott Carl after he sustained a severe TBI. Visit BrainLine.org to read an excerpt from Hold My Hand: A Mother's Journey.
Read more >>

For more information about TBI, please come visit us at BrainLine.org.

All the best from BrainLine.
Noel Gunther, Executive Director
Christian Lindstrom, Director, Learning Media
Victoria Youcha, EdD, Director, BrainLine
Matthew Bruce, Web Manager
Victoria Tilney McDonough, Associate Editor
Elaine Phillips, MSP, CCC/SLP, Research Consultant
Theresa Rankin, Outreach Consultant
Brian King, Senior Multimedia Producer
Kimberley Larson, Web Designer
Ian Collins, Technical Web Manager
Leon Gittens, Project Administrator
Krystal Klingenberg, Project Coordinator

Newsletter editor: Victoria Tilney McDonough

About BrainLine
BrainLine is a service of WETA, the flagship public television and radio station in the nation's capitol.

BrainLine is funded by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, the primary operational TBI component of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, through a subcontract award with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine.

This material is based upon work supported by the USAMRAA under Contract Number W81XWH-07-C-0089. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USAMRAA.