Screening for Lifetime History of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Many people have injuries that can impact their brain function, but they are not diagnosed and do not receive treatment. If you suspect you or someone you know may have had such an injury, the brief screen below may be helpful in recalling the specific incident(s) that may have resulted in an injury to the brain. Please note, this screen does not diagnose a brain injury, but rather helps to elicit injury events that may potentially result in an injury to the brain. If you wish to talk with someone about your answers to these questions, or to request more information about TBI, please contact the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska for assistance.
Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska
PO Box 22147
Lincoln, NE 68542
(844) 423-2463
www.biane.org
1. In your lifetime, have you ever been hospitalized or treated in an emergency room following an injury to your head or neck? Think about any childhood injuries you remember or were told about. Yes/No
2. In your lifetime, have you ever injured your head or neck in a car accident or from a crash with another moving vehicle like a bicycle, motorcycle or All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV)? Yes/No
3. In your lifetime, have you ever injured your head or neck in a fall or from being hit by something (for example, falling from a bike or horse, rollerblading, falling on ice, being hit by a rock, playing sports or on the playground)? Yes/No
4. In your lifetime, have you ever injured your head or neck in a fight, from being hit by someone, from being shaken violently, or being shot in the neck or head? Yes/No
5. In your lifetime, have you ever been nearby when an explosion or a blast occurred? Think about any military combat- or training-related incidents or prior work-related incidents (for example, construction). Yes/No
Questions 1-5 adapted with permission from the Ohio State University TBI Identification Method (Corrigan, J.D., Bogner, J.A. (2007). Initial reliability and validity of the OSU TBI Identification Method. J Head Trauma Rehabil, 22(6):318-329. © Reserved 2007, The Ohio Valley Center for Brain Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation
Please note, this screen does not diagnose a brain injury, but rather helps to elicit injury events that may potentially result in an injury to the brain.
IF YOU ANSWERED “YES” TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS AND WOULD LIKE TO TALK WITH SOMEONE ABOUT TBI, PLEASE CONTACT THE BRAIN INJURY ALLIANCE OF NEBRASKA.
Brain Injury Definitions
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
TBI is defined as an alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force.
Acquired Brain Injury
An acquired brain injury is an injury to the brain, which is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma. An acquired brain injury is an injury to the brain that has occurred after birth.
There is sometimes confusion about what is considered an acquired brain injury. By definition, any traumatic brain injury (e.g., from a motor vehicle accident, or assault) could be considered an acquired brain injury. In the field of brain injury, acquired brain injuries are typically considered any injury that is non-traumatic. Examples of acquired brain injury include stroke, near drowning, hypoxic or anoxic brain injury, tumor, neurotoxins, electric shock or lightning strike.
Mild Brain Injury
The term “mild brain injury” can be misleading. The term “mild” is used in reference to the severity of the initial physical trauma that caused the injury. It does not indicate the severity of the consequences of the injury.
