Litigation

Web based brain injury screening tool

By Michael Kaplen

Researchers at New York City?s Mount Sinai School of Medicine have developed the first web-based screening tool for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). This instrument has recently been used by soldiers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who participated in the Sixth Annual Road to Recovery Conference and Tribute in Orlando to determine if they sustained a TBI.

The screening tool was first developed 20 years ago by Dr, Wayne Gordon and his research team. Working in local schools, they found a surprising number of students with TBI but never reported it nor received medical attention, often because the injuries were sustained as a result of abuse or assault. Dr. Gordon wanted to develop an anonymous screening tool to help people assess their risk and avoid long-term complications.

The Brain Injury Screening Questionnaire (BISQ) is a web-based tool that allows users to anonymously answer a series of questions about whether they sustained a blow to the head in which they were unconscious or dazed, confused or disoriented. Their symptoms include sleep disturbances, irritability, memory disturbances, difficulties organizing daily tasks, and difficulty concentrating. At the end of the survey, participants receive a computer-generated report. Those who are found to be at risk are advised to seek further evaluation from a qualified health care professional.

Dr. Gordon and his team from the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Mount Sinai plan to conduct research using the screening tool in other populations as well. The researchers are using BISQ to assess TBI in the prison population in Texas to determine how the condition may contribute to criminality.

The software is $15.00. For more information on the software click here.

Full post as published by Brain Injury News and Information on January 08, 2011 (boomark / email).