The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Military Traumatic Brain Injury Screening Instrument

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is referred to as the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Given the prevalence of TBI in military personnel, there is a need for validated instruments tailored to accurately screen for TBI in this population. Three hundred service members or veterans underwent a novel screen and a comprehensive diagnostic assessment to identify the occurrence of TBI and/or the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder. Negative predictive value, positive predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated. This screening tool for TBI yielded sensitivity of 96%, specificity of 64%, negative predictive value of 95%, and positive predictive value of 69%. The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Military Traumatic Brain Injury Screening Instrument has a high negative predictive value and high sensitivity for TBI. This tool identifies individuals likely to have sustained a TBI. Moreover, it detects those who are likely not to have sustained such an injury and can be reassured in this regard. Because such distinction can be made with a high degree of accuracy in rapid and cost-effective fashion, it represents an important contribution to the armamentarium of TBI screening tools.