Clinical Research Consortium Topics and Schedule

First Wednesday of each month, 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM Central Time.

2012

January

Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease?

Presenter: Len Matheson, PhD
Download slideshow for session.

February

Life Care Planning after Brain Injury

Presenter: Jodi Fischer, OT, CLCP, CWCE
Download slideshow for session.

March

Functional Baseline & Repeat Testing: Maintaining Durable Ability over Time

Presenter: Min Trevor Kyi, OT, CWCE, CDA, DipFCE
Download slideshow for session.

April

No presentation

May

Concussed: Re-conditioning the mTBI when business is booming

Presenter: Captain Erik S. Johnson, MS, OTR/L
Download slideshow for session.

June

Cognitive Compensation Curriculum Program

Presenter: Matthew Dodson, OTD, OTR/L

August

Goaling and Motivational Interviewing

Presenter: Leonard Matheson, PhD, CVE, CRC

2011

January

An Introduction to Executive Dysfunction and Work Disability

Presenter: Len Matheson, PhD
Download slideshow for session.

  • Executive Function Definition and Description
    • Executive functions harness and direct intelligence and other cognitive processing capacities.
    • Dysfunction prevents intelligence from being applied.
  • Scope of the Problem and Emerging Markets
    • Emerging technology such as magnetoencephalography and TBI biomarkers, along with increased visibility of mTBI among troops returning from war create important practice opportunities.

February

Methods to Evaluate Vocationally Relevant Executive Dysfunction

Presenter: Len Matheson, PhD
Download slideshow for session.

  • Interpreting Neuropsychological, Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Findings in Terms of Work-Oriented Executive Dysfunction
    • What does the neuropsychologist measure and how does it pertain to executive dysfunction?
  • Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function
    • Excel Spreadsheet for CRC Participants
  • Doll Chair Assembly Task
  • Structured Work Activity Group #1
  • Behavioral Assessment of Vocational Skills Wheelbarrow Task

March

Executive Function and Capacity Approximation

Presenter: Len Matheson, PhD
Download slideshow for session.

  • Natural Development of Executive Function
    • Executive function develops throughout childhood and adolescence in healthy response to challenges that signal inadequacy.
  • Minimizing Executive Function Deficits after a Brain Injury
    • When executive function is disrupted, occupational disability results even as intelligence and other cognitive processing capacities are preserved.

April

Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation of Executive Dysfunction

Presenter: Len Matheson, PhD
Download slideshow for session.

  • The Importance of Depression in Magnification of Executive Dysfunction
    • Identifying and treating depression must be taken on as an interdisciplinary challenge.
  • Remediating Executive Function Deficits
    • Defining the “just-right challenge” for brain-injured adults with work disability.

May

Identifying Rehabilitation Needs in Mild Head Injury: When and How

Presenter: Matt Dodson, OTD, OTR/L
Download slideshow for session.

Providing client-centered rehabilitation services to people living with mild head injury can be a challenging proposition. Effectively identifying the difficulties this unique population has when engaging in daily activities can be problematic, and doing so in a way that encourages the opportunity for the further rehabilitation of these concerns is even more elusive. That being said, this month’s presentation has two principal objectives:

  1. Introduction of a semi-structured interview tool that assists in clinical identification of the variety of common functional deficits seen in those with chronic mild head injury.
  2. Exploration of non-standardized treatment tools for the rehabilitation of specific aspects of higher level cognitive functions, once these deficits have been identified through the assessment process.

June

Accessing the Upper Reaches of Executive Function in Cognitive Rehabilitation

Presenter: Matt Dodson, OTD, OTR/L
Download slideshow for session.

July

Assessing Potential for Work among Individuals with Mild to Moderate Stroke

Presenter: Vicki Kaskutas, MHS, OTD
Download slideshow for session.

August

The Organization of Work-Oriented Neurorehabilitation as a New Service-Delivery Model

Presenter: Len Matheson, PhD

The discussion will address program criteria, training and certification of practitioners, and research topics.

September

There will be no CRC meeting in September.

October

Complex Task Performance Assessment

Presenter: Timothy J. Wolf, OTD, MSCI, OTR/L
Download slideshow for session.

November

Combat-Exposed Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries: Evaluation and Treatment

Presenter: Debbie Turley, MSOT, OTR/L
Download slideshow for session.

December

Telerehab as a Cost-Effective Model for Work-Oriented Neurorehabilitation

Presenter: Len Matheson, PhD

Telerehab has a very recent and brief history that Dr. Matheson will describe. The models for telerehab that are being adopted frequently involve people with ABI.