INTRODUCTION AND HOUSEKEEPING – Nick Rushworth (person with a brain injury), Executive Officer Brain Injury Australia, Conference Chair

OFFICIAL OPENING: Katrine Hildyard – South Australian Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing

INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE ADDRESS – Associate Professor Eve Valera, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital

National Launch of Tools for Ageing Well with Traumatic Brain Injury – Dr. Christina Ekegren and Associate Professor Libby Callaway, Monash University Victoria, Professor Ian Cameron, University of Sydney and Professor Grahame Simpson, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research New South Wales

People living with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) have complex health needs, not only immediately following injury but throughout their lives. And these needs often become more complex in older age. Co-designed by stakeholder organisations in Victoria and New South Wales, older adults with lived experience of TBI and their family members as well as multidisciplinary clinicians who care for older adults with a TBI, “Tools for Ageing Well with Traumatic Brain Injury” is the first Australian resource of its kind, and will assist older adults to age well with their TBI.

Domestic and Family Violence

Brain Injury Australia’s 2018  report into Australia’s first research into Domestic and Family Violence and Acquired Brain Injury found 2 in every 5 of the 16,000 victims of family violence attending Victorian hospitals over a decade had sustained a brain injury.

“It’s been like a spiritual awakening for me’: the impacts of Traumatic Brain Injury education workshops with women in prison” – Dr. Michelle Fitts, Western Sydney University New South Wales, Adjunct Associate Professor Jennifer Cullen, James Cook University Queensland, Glenda Duffy and Rachel Montgomery, Red Cross Queensland

The Disciplines – Orthoptics

Canada’s Evidence-based Review of moderate to severe Acquired Brain Injury (ERABI) found a “multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation seems to be more effective than a single discipline approach”. The Conference draws attention to underacknowledged disciplines. For example, the majority of people who sustain a brain injury experience visual and ocular complications such as blurred vision, double vision, decreased peripheral vision, sensitivity to light and abnormalities in eye movement. Orthoptics is a discipline in eye healthcare specialising in the assessment, diagnosis and non-surgical management of eye disorders.

“Blurred lanes, black lines and moving trees. I thought I was dying” – Sue-Ellen Drew (person with a brain injury), South Australia

“Eye therapy in the setting of brain injury; simple and complex applications” – Tania Straga, Adelaide Eye Therapy, South Australia

“Neuro-orthoptic rehabilitation in Acquired Brain Injury care” – Natalia Kelly, Vision Matters Victoria

Domestic and Family Violence

A 2008 survey of 43,000 hospitalisations in four jurisdictions, including South Australia, found “Indigenous females experienced 69 times the rate of head injury due to assault experienced by non-Indigenous females.

“An acute care-to-community pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with Traumatic Brain Injury from family violence: staff perspectives from a regional hospital” – Dr. Michelle Fitts and Yasmin Johnson, Western Sydney University New South Wales, Dr. Gail Kingston, James Cook University Queensland

“Brain injury and family violence: establishing a tool to support clinical practice” – Kathryn Upton, Macquarie University New South Wales, Associate Professor Caroline Fisher, Latrobe University Victoria

“Reframing the narrative; lessons of implementing a Traumatic Brain Injury project with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and services in regional and remote Australia” – Dr. Michelle Fitts and Elaine Wills, Western Sydney University, Michelle Tyhuis Townsville, Queensland

Concussion

Concussions – a “mild” Traumatic Brain Injury – have become an urgent public health concern; particularly for the injured who do not make a complete recovery within expected timeframes, and for the potential cumulative impacts of multiple concussions. Each year in Australia around 180,000 “mild” Traumatic Brain Injures occur. For as many as 1 in every 5 of those injured, they will experience ongoing physical, cognitive and behavioural changes lasting months. Concussion can be difficult to diagnose. The management of symptoms that persist remains challenging.

“Cervical musculoskeletal dysfunction in relation to physiological and vestibulo-ocular dysfunction in patients with symptoms four weeks to six months following concussion” – Dr. Julia Treleaven, University of Queensland

“Heads up on concussion: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ knowledge and understanding of mild Traumatic Brain Injury” – Dr. Gill Cowen, Western Australian Concussion Network

“Women, head injuries and football” – Associate Professor Kerry Peek, University of Sydney New South Wales

“Physical exercise for people with mild Traumatic Brain Injury: a systematic review of Randomized Controlled Trials” – Sally Vuu, Flinders University South Australia

Domestic And Family Violence

Brain Injury Australia’s 2018  report into Australia’s first research into Domestic and Family Violence and Acquired Brain Injury found 2 in every 5 of the 16,000 victims of family violence attending Victorian hospitals over a decade had sustained a brain injury.

“A translational approach to understanding the pathophysiology, biomarkers, and functional consequences of intimate partner violence-related brain injury” – Professor Sandy Shultz, Dr. Georgia Symons and Dr. Stuart McDonald, Monash University Victoria

PLENARY – CONCUSSION/ “MILD” TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, facilitated by Professor Mark Bayley, Coriat Family Chair in Rehabilitation Innovations at The University of Toronto, Canada

Concussions – a “mild” Traumatic Brain Injury – have become an urgent public health concern; particularly for the injured who do not make a complete recovery within expected timeframes, and for the potential cumulative impacts of multiple concussions. Each year in Australia around 180,000 “mild” Traumatic Brain Injures occur. For as many as 1 in every 5 of those injured, they will experience ongoing physical, cognitive and behavioural changes lasting months. Concussion can be difficult to diagnose. The management of symptoms that persist remains challenging.

“Four years on; concussion’s long and winding road” – Mia Formichella, South Australia

“From Post-Concussion Syndrome to PhD; my journey” – Emily Moore, South Australia

Concussion

Concussions – a “mild” Traumatic Brain Injury – have become an urgent public health concern; particularly for the injured who do not make a complete recovery within expected timeframes, and for the potential cumulative impacts of multiple concussions. Each year in Australia around 180,000 “mild” Traumatic Brain Injures occur. For as many as 1 in every 5 of those injured, they will experience ongoing physical, cognitive and behavioural changes lasting months. Concussion can be difficult to diagnose. The management of symptoms that persist remains challenging.

“There is nothing ‘mild’ about mild Traumatic Brain Injury” – Dr. Les Koopowitz, University of Adelaide South Australia

“Interdisciplinary rehabilitation of a person with persistent post-concussive symptoms; a reflective case study” – Tristan Clements, One Rehabilitation Service South Australia

“A seven-week interdisciplinary group intervention program for clients with persistent post-concussive symptoms” – Dr. Sarah Price, Barwon Health Victoria

Multiple “mild” Traumatic Brain Injuries; how do they add up?

“What brains tell; the Australian Sports Brain Bank” – Associate Professor Michael Buckland, University of Sydney New South Wales

“Lasting impact: exploring the link between Traumatic Brain Injury and neurodegenerative disease risk”- Associate Professor Lyndsey Collins-Praino, University of Adelaide South Australia

The First Person – Employment

Around 2 in every 5 people who have sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) find employment, 1 in 2 after a stroke. The last independent study of open employment services found that people with a brain injury had the second lowest representation in the workforce of all people with a disabilty and the third highest direct support needs (after people with autism and intellectual disability). And, while the total number of participants in Disability Employment Services has risen 7 per cent over the last 5 years, those with a brain injury have fallen 10 per cent. The Conference will share first person success stories while examining the key obstacles to, and some local innovations for finding, satisfying and sustainable employment for people with a brain injury.

“Yes, we can! Meaningful employment following Traumatic Brain Injury: the importance of collaboration between employer, line manager, healthcare providers, family members, and employee” – Dr. Alexander Smith (person with a brain injury), New South Wales

“Turning the sky around: shoring up the survivor’s return to employment in our ‘back to the future’ National Disability Insurance Scheme world” – Eva Sifis (person with a brain injury), Victoria

“Still learning how to realise the benefits of employment for people with brain injury: learnings from the perspective of a person with lived experience of brain injury and their employer” – Penny White, Lifetime Support Authority South Australia

Housing

You might need less support if you live in the right type of home’; evolving effective housing solutions to support people living with brain injury in the community – panel discussion facilitated by Liz Forsyth, Brain Injury SA South Australia

Employment

Around 2 in every 5 people who have sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) find employment, 1 in 2 after a stroke. The last independent study of open employment services found that people with a brain injury had the second lowest representation in the workforce of all people with a disabilty and the third highest direct support needs (after people with autism and intellectual disability). And, while the total number of participants in Disability Employment Services has risen 7 per cent over the last 5 years, those with a brain injury have fallen 10 per cent. The Conference will share first person success stories while examining the key obstacles to, and some local innovations for finding, satisfying and sustainable employment for people with a brain injury.

“Traumatic Brain Injury and Aphasia – A Lived Experience Based Therapeutic Approach to Rehabilitation and Recovery Integrating Cognitive Neuroscience” – Garry Whittaker (person with a brain injury), New South Wales

“Unique strategies that case co-ordinators implement to assist clients with an Acquired Brain Injury to return to work with their pre-injury employer” – Miffy Durham, State Head Injury Unit Western Australia

“Efficacy of early vocational intervention following traumatic injury: a Randomised Controlled Trial” – Professor Jennie Ponsford, Monash University Victoria