DCoE Blog

• Sending Your Child Back to School after Concussion

  Posted by Mikelle D. Smith, DCoE Public Affairs on August 8, 2016

  

  Although summer isn’t quite over, many kids are shifting attention to the upcoming school year. If you are a parent, you’ve most likely started back-to-school prep: shopping for new clothes, buying school supplies and organizing new daily routines. While you’re thinking ahead, don’t forget to plan for any special needs for your child who may have experienced a summer head injury. A common injury that affects school performance is concussion. 

  A concussion is a jolt or blow to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Children often get them by falling down, running into things, getting struck by objects or playing sports. A concussion can cause cognitive, emotional and physical symptoms. Your child might report symptoms like headaches, dizziness, blurry vision or trouble paying attention. If you have any concerns, seek medical attention promptly.

  Categories: Traumatic Brain Injury, Families, DVBIC, Military Children   |   Comments (0)

• Give Concussion the Red Card

  Posted by Nina Corin, DCoE Public Affairs on July 28, 2016

  

  Hey parents! Got a striker, midfielder, defender or keeper in your family? Do you know what hand ball, offside, corner and bicycle kick mean? Do you follow developments in goal line technology? Have you been heard to shout “All ball!” or “Advantage!” at the referee?

  If you answered yes to any of these questions, I’m guessing you’re a soccer mom or dad, or a soccer player yourself! You may know about injuries such as torn ligaments and pulled hamstrings. But whether your athlete is a newbie or dreams of making it to the World Cup one day, you should also add traumatic brain injury (TBI) to your vocabulary.

  As soccer gains popularity in the United States and awareness of TBI grows, more eyes are on this potentially serious injury. Mild TBI, also known as concussion, is especially common among girls. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, “females participating in high school sports now have a higher incidence rate of sport-related concussions than do males.”

  A TBI is a blow or jolt to the head that disrupts the normal functioning of the brain. It can cause loss of consciousness for a brief or extended period of time, or make one feel confused or “see stars.” The injury can be mild, moderate, severe or penetrating, but most TBIs are concussions. Traumatic brain injury symptoms can be physical (headaches, dizziness), cognitive (problems with memory or concentration) or emotional (irritability or mood swings).

  Categories: Traumatic Brain Injury, DCoE Products, Patients, DCoE, Military Children   |   Comments (0)

• Leaving the Military? Sesame Street Can Help Your Kids Adjust

  Posted by DCoE Public Affairs on June 8, 2016

  

  It’s hard enough for a service member to move back to civilian life after active duty, but it can be uniquely stressful for military children who have never lived in a non-military community. And while kids get lots of help from family programs when moving from one base to another, that help isn’t always there when a family leaves the service.

  Now, a new resource on the popular Sesame Street for Military Families website fills this gap. This new resource helps parents and children maintain good mental health, “during the time of transition from active-duty to civilian life, which is more pronounced now because of the drawdown of troops,” said psychologist Kelly Blasko of the National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2).

  Categories: Collaborations, Treatment, Military Children, Transitions   |   Comments (0)

• Web, Mobile Technology Helps Military Health Beneficiaries Assess, Improve Mental Health

  Posted by DCoE Public Affairs on May 26, 2016

  

  A typical day in our modern world can involve a considerable amount of stress and anxiety. In an effort to help service members—and their families—better cope with such pressures, the National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2) develops psychological health-based mobile applications and websites. A recent article by the Military Health System Communications Office explores how these tools can help service members and their families.

  “The great thing about these applications and web tools is that they allow us to have a much bigger impact with our target population,” said David Cooper, psychologist and mobile applications lead at T2. “For instance, Breathe2Relax has been downloaded more than 300,000 times. I could never see that many patients in my entire scope of practice. The technology and applications we’re developing at T2 are really helping us provide better overall care.” At the same time, physicians note that an app is not a substitute for direct medical care and, if needed, people should seek professional help.

  Read the full article from Military Health System Communications Office, “Web, mobile technology helps MHS beneficiaries assess, improve mental health,” on the health.mil website.

  Categories: DCoE Products, PTSD, DCoE, Treatment, Depression, Psychological Health, Military Children   |   Comments (0)

• Identifying, Preventing Sexual Abuse of Children

  Posted by Sidney R. Hinds III, DCoE Public Affairs on May 20, 2016

  

  Educating everyone who might potentially be involved in a sexual assault — whether as health care provider, victim, offender or bystander — can help prevent sexual assault against children, according to David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center.

  “These are complicated situations for people to report about, and for investigators to find out what's going on. Frequently, there's tremendous allegiance, even on the part of victims, to the offenders,” Finkelhor told participants in an April webinar hosted by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE). “What we really need is a fully integrated safety and health curriculum for young people that is developmentally informed.”

  Categories: DCoE Webinar Rewind, webinar, DCoE Products, DCoE, Psychological Health, Military Children   |   Comments (0)

• A Veteran with TBI Thrives on Support from His Kids

  Posted by Robyn Mincher, Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center on May 6, 2016

  

  A strong support network can make an enormous difference in the lives of service members and veterans managing the effects of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). For Marine veteran Calvin Smith, that support system is his wife and their five children. They help him remember to finish tasks and take medication, while standing proudly by his side every day.

  In August 2007, Calvin was riding his motorcycle when he was struck by a driver who was texting. Calvin’s helmet saved his life, but his injuries required numerous spinal and back surgeries and eventually the amputation of his left leg in 2012. He also sustained a brain injury, in addition to the multiple concussions that occurred when he deployed with the Marines.

  Categories: Traumatic Brain Injury, DCoE Products, DCoE, Military Children   |   Comments (0)