Lecture 6 - Mental Illness & Pain

Question 1

How are TBI and mental illness related?

Answer 1

• TBI is associated with pre-existing mental illness

- Individuals with TBI have increased incidence of mental illness post injury

Question 2

T or F: Cognitive and communication difficulties are present in both mental illness and TBI but changes in the brain are associated with only TBI

Answer 2

FALSE

-Cognitive and communication difficulties and changes in the brain are both seen in mental illness and TBI

Question 3

Why must we be aware that cognitive and communication impairments for mental illness and TBI are similar?

Answer 3

• this makes differential Dx difficult

- don’t assume we know the cause of particular impairments when no diagnosis/etiology has been given

Question 4

Moderate to severe TBI is associated with a __________ of mental illness

Answer 4

higher initial risk

Question 5

Mild TBI tends to result in ________________

Answer 5

persistent psychiatric illness

Question 6

What is the definition of chronic pain?

Answer 6

Pain that has persisted for 3-6 months or longer after the injury has healed

Question 7

A significant proportion of severe TBI patients experience chronic pain because ______

Answer 7

of the physical injuries incurred at the time

Question 8

Headache, irritability, sleep disturbance, depression and cognitive impairments are symptoms of what?

Answer 8

TBI and chronic pain

Question 9

T or F: overlap of symptoms in TBI and mental illness can make differential diagnosis difficult

Answer 9

True

Question 10

Pain itself changes the ________________ and can be a driver of cognitive change

Answer 10

organic structure of the brain

Question 11

T or F: pain can have a negative impact on assessment

Answer 11

True