Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify current SLP practice patterns in concussion care, clarify definitions of common cognitive retraining terminology, and establish areas of growth in clinical practice and research. METHOD: An online 10 question survey to collect data on assessment and practice components. Total 79 respondents from ASHA Special Interest Group 2 Neurogenic Communication Disorders website participated. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Patient education and symptom management were regular components of cognitive retraining with concussion. Smaller percentage included cognitive endurance building. Further analysis identified variation in how clinicians defined terms: patient education, symptom management, and cognitive endurance building. Discrepancies noted with diagnostic tools, with one quarter using screening tools as primary assessment. CONCLUSION: Strong knowledge base to support differential diagnosis and therapeutic plan is critical to optimize outcomes in concussion care. Consistency with terminology use can reduce the risk of confusion but also support the value of what SLPs contribute to an interdisciplinary concussion team.
Highlights
Concussion, defined as a traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by biomechanical forces, results in a complex pathophysiological process including metabolic, physiological and microstructural injury, often causing diffuse injury with insult to multiple areas of the brain [1] [2] [3] [4]
As the research continues to identify the uniqueness of those diagnosed with concussion and their vulnerability to co-morbidities such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, ADHD, which can impact the recovery trajectory, it is vital that those involved in providing concussion care have a strong knowledge base to support the differential diagnosis and therapeutic plan
Consistency with the terminology communicated to patients and colleagues can reduce the risk of confusion and support the value of what the Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) can contribute to an interdisciplinary concussion team
Summary
Concussion, defined as a traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by biomechanical forces, results in a complex pathophysiological process including metabolic, physiological and microstructural injury, often causing diffuse injury with insult to multiple areas of the brain [1] [2] [3] [4].
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