First of two parts on traumatic brain injury

If advance press is accurate, you may have noticed a rather sober ad at the final commercial break of the Super Bowl broadcast this past Sunday. The NFL by all accounts spent several million dollars for the 60-second spot on player safety, directed by Peter Berg who created the Friday Night Lights TV series.

You don’t have to be too cynical to connect the dots between this expensive gesture and the lawsuits that are currently plaguing the NFL. They are being sued for alleged failures to design a safe concussion management protocol and to fulfill the terms of a guaranteed benefits plan when players sustain Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The charge is made that the league consistently refuses to accept the well-established medical link between concussions, head trauma and disability. Because of this, it allegedly denies these players the opportunity to obtain disability benefits including medical and rehabilitation care and systematically denies brain injury disability retirement applications.

If these allegations are proven to be true, they show the League to be at the very least totally oblivious to the body of knowledge regarding TBI, accumulated over more than 30 years, and added to exponentially because of recent wars. Traumatic Brain Injury has been referred to as the “signature injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars” and has spurred U. S. government efforts to focus on increased research and improved medical treatment especially for returning veterans with TBI.

Like some of those injured in military combat, some who are injured on the sports field may not immediately lose consciousness or immediately exhibit behavioral, cognitive, social and emotional consequences of TBI. But latest statistics estimate that of the 1.7 million Americans who sustain traumatic brain injuries each year, 9 percent will end up with lifelong impairments. These numbers translate into an estimated 3.2 million Americans who live with long-term disability as a result of TBI.

The distinction between Traumatic Brain Injury (result of any forceful contact to the head which disrupts the brain’s natural functions) and Acquired Brain Injury (caused by other conditions like infections, strokes, tumors, aneurysms) became significant for funding purposes in New Jersey in 2009.

In that year, the Division of Disability Services which administers the Traumatic Brain Injury Fund, anticipating an imminent shortfall in the fund, decided it could no longer accept applications from those with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). Legislation has been introduced, but not yet passed, which would once again give those with ABI access to the TBI Fund.

Economics certainly comes into play on the long road to recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury. Innovations in cognitive rehabilitation therapies have shown that the healing process in the brain can continue much longer than formerly believed. Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who benefited from aggressive approaches to surgery and therapy for her brain injury, acknowledges that most people would not be able to afford similar treatment and care. She is working to draw more attention to the value of extended therapy for TBI.

In the meantime, there are some encouraging developments and glimmers of hope for those living with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Part 2: Promising Research and Resources For Those with TBI

Did You Know?

• A free workshop on Brain Injury Basics is being offered by the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey on Thurs., April 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Cape Regional Medical Center. This workshop will provide an overview of brain injury including its cognitive, physical and emotional consequences. Also covered will be the effects of brain injury on families, and useful strategies, tips, and resources for families and caregivers. More information is available at 732-745-0200 or www.bianj.org or by email at info@bianj.org

• The website www.brainline.org has a list of “18 Life-Changing Android Apps for People with Brain Injury.”

Pierson writes from the Cape May County Department of Aging and Disability Services