Mild Traumatic Brain InjuryDid you know that Traumatic Brain (TBI) affects 1.5-2 million individuals per year? Ofthose approximately 80% are diagnosed as Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI). AMTBI by definition is determined by the amount of time in coma or Post TraumaticAmnesia (PTA). A MTBI frequently has a severe functional outcome. People withMTBI often lose their jobs, have difficulty maintaining personal relationships andbecome isolated in their community.A variety of physical, cognitive and emotional symptoms can accompany a MTBI. Toadd to the confusion, for those with this diagnosis not every person experiences everysymptom and symptoms can vary in intensity. For many, cognitive symptoms present thegreatest long-term challenge. These can include impaired memory, word retrievalproblems, reduced attention span, impaired logical thinking and difficulty grasping newconcepts or ideas. Difficulty with mult-track thinking frequently makes it impossible tocontinue with work or school.Of the physical symptoms, fatigue and pain are most often cited by persons with MTBI asinterfering with their ability to move forward with their lives. Another area of concern isover stimulation (primarily visual and auditory) which can cause person to literally shutdown for periods of time until he/she can regroup.Emotionally, a person with MTBI may experience irritability, anxiety, depression andfrustration. These symptoms can have a significant impact on ability to relate to others.There are many more symptoms that have not been listed. However, the ones givenabove demonstrate the ability of a MTBI to impact every aspect of a persons life.With that said, are you providing Therapeutic Recreation services in your communityfor individuals who have suffered a MBTI? If the answer is no, then I would be happyto assist you in getting a program started in your community. To learn more aboutwhat is being offered through the Boulder Parks and Recreation EXPAND Program,visit: www.bouldercolorado.gov/parks-recreation and look for the Journey through EXPAND program. Or call Cory at 303-413-7269 Ext. 1Below are additional resources.Brain Injury Association of Coloradovisit: biacolorado.org . This nonprofit organization offers education, prevention, research, andadvocacy programs to improve the lives of individuals with brain injury, their familiesand friends.Centers for Disease Control and Preventionvisit: cdc.gov. This government site provides information on brain injury, including links to publications, type TBI into thesearch engine.Traumatic Brain Injury Modelvisit: tbindc.org. This sites describes 16 centers in the U.S. that provide comprehensive systems of TBI care andrehabilitation
