Traumatic Brain Injury

What are the signs and symptoms of a brain injury?

A brain injury can affect a person in many ways and can vary significantly depending on the severity, cause and area of the brain injured.

Things as subtle as headaches, mood swings and memory problems are often associated with a milder brain injury or concussion, while significant changes in movement, behavior, ability or even unconsciousness can result from a more severe injury. 

What tests are used to diagnose a pediatric brain injury?

The most important brain injury test is the conversation a patient and family has with your healthcare provider. You'll be asked to share things like what happened, how your child felt right after the injury, how does he/she feel now and/or how does he/she feel currently that is different from before it happened. After this discussion and a thorough history and physical exam, other tests may be ordered for your child or young adult.

Another common way to diagnose brain injury is with neuroimaging techniques. This gives doctors a "picture" of your child's brain to look for evidence of damage. The damage may be evaluated by looking at the blood vessels, structure of different areas and connections, abnormal collections of fluids like blood, and chemical processes in the brain, among other things. These pictures are commonly obtained by using X-rays (CT scan), large magnetic fields (MRI) and/or sound (ultrasound).

In some cases after an injury, the brain begins to undergo unregulated, disorganized electrical activity called a seizure. A test called electroencephalography (EEG) provides a very detailed view of the electrical activity in the brain and tells doctors how it differs from normal activity. This allows your child's care team to diagnose problems, determine if treatment is needed, and assess if that treatment is effective.

Neuropsychological testing

A brain injury often affects how a person thinks and behaves, which is why your child might also undergo a thorough neuropsychological exam at Children's Hospital Colorado. This type of testing will help your child's doctors find out if there are any problems with thinking, learning, talking or processing information. This evaluation includes interviews, observation of behavior and performance on focused tasks to help identify specific functional problems. Learn more about neuropsychological testing at Children's Colorado.

Because a brain injury can possibly disrupt all the other systems of the body, many different kinds of problems may also occur. Therefore, other more specific diagnostic tests may be done to evaluate those issues.

Read about common tests used at the Neuroscience Institute.

Why choose Children's Colorado for brain injury testing?

Children's Colorado has the most extensive and current selection of brain injury diagnostic programs in the Rocky Mountain region. Our experience in the testing and treatment of brain injury is unmatched in the region.

Our team approach allows us to get a complete picture of your child's health, and then work together to identify the best treatment options. Our team also consists of leading researchers, which allows us to improve and define standards for pediatric brain injury diagnosis and care.

How is a brain injury diagnosed at Children's Colorado?

After reviewing your child's physical exam, patient history, neuroimaging, EEG, psychological evaluation and other tests, the Brain Injury Team will sit down with your family to discuss the best treatment options for your child.

Pediatric experts from the multidisciplinary care team will assess your child's injury from multiple points of view and help you understand how the injury may impact the many different areas of function.

How is a brain injury treated?

There are multiple programs available at Children's Colorado for the treatment of a brain injury. For milder brain injuries (also called concussions), we have a separate Concussion Program for kids, adolescents and young athletes. For more severe brain injuries, we have a large Inpatient Brain Injury Program staffed by a multidisciplinary group of physicians, nurses, therapists and other clinicians specifically trained in the care of children with brain injuries.

In addition, after your child is discharged from the hospital, he or she will transition to a specialty Outpatient Brain Injury Program designed to provide follow-up care, long-term treatment, and guide your child and family through the recovery process.

For patients who have long-term problems, we continue to see them on a regular basis in our Outpatient Brain Injury Program with a goal of maximizing their capabilities and health. In addition, our social services experts are involved in the overall treatment plans, as we know that such complex injuries impact the whole family.

Why choose Children's Colorado for your child's brain injury?

What makes the Children's Colorado Brain Injury Program unique is our individualized approach to patient care. Every member of our large, multidisciplinary team is involved in the treatment and care of your child by contributing their unique areas of pediatric expertise. We, as a group, will work tirelessly to help your child and family through the recovery process both while you’re here in the hospital and after in our Outpatient Brain Injury Clinic.

Members of our care team are experts in this field and provide brain injury care on a daily basis. The comprehensive care and expertise we offer is unmatched in our region, and we strive to help children with brain injuries heal and lead as normal and healthy life as possible.

Helpful brain injury resources

• Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Epilepsy Foundation
• MINDSOURCE Brain Injury Network
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Traumatic Brain Injury Resource Network

The BrainSTARS Manual

The BrainSTARS Manual is a comprehensive, practical manual for parents and teachers. It includes background information about brain injury, child and adolescent development, ways to create positive change, a comprehensive list of problems associated with brain injury, recommended interventions and worksheets.

The manual was reviewed by an advisory board of parents, school personnel and students with brain injury, as well as by a group of national experts. It was extensively field-tested with parents and school teams and represents current best practices in the education and development of students who have acquired brain injuries.

The 320-page manual can be purchased for $80. For ordering information, please call Children's Colorado Department of Rehabilitation Psychology at 720-777-5470.