The therapeutic challenges of dual diagnosis: TBI/SCI

Rehabilitation centres provide therapeutic intervention to both patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI). Patients with a dual diagnosis of TBI and SCI present a challenge to the rehabilitation professional. Previous studies indicate an incidence of concomitant TBI and SCI to be between 24-59%. Many research articles discuss how a diagnosis of TBI is often missed during the medical examination of a person with a suspected SCI. This article will focus on the implications of dual diagnosis encountered during the rehabilitation process. A case study is used to highlight the challenges presented by the cognitive impairments of a TBI in combination with the motoric deficits of SCI. Management strategies utilised by the rehabilitation team are discussed.