Abstract
As pediatric rehabilitation medicine continues to advance, it is essential to recognize the growing need for specialized care in managing pediatric brain injury to ensure a successful transition to adulthood. We are excited to introduce a new section dedicated to expanding innovative research to address a complex set of challenges and ultimately improve overall outcomes for children with brain injury. This initiative aims to bring together a transdisciplinary group of medical and community experts in the field to focus on the unique holistic needs in this specialized area of care.
In this inaugural issue, we have papers on “Caregiver and student perspectives on school services for students with traumatic brain injury during the COVID-19 pandemic” by Palusak et al., “Multidisciplinary rehabilitation and follow-up for children hospitalized with traumatic brain injury” by Alessi et al., “Neuropharmacology in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury” by Black et al., “A national consensus-based framework on preferred assessments and interventions in current treatment for young people with acquired brain injury in Dutch rehabilitation centers” by Allonsius et al., “Characteristics of pediatric patients with sports-related concussions: A single site retrospective review” by Cruz Ayala et al., “Convergent validity of Physical and Neurological Examination of Subtle Signs (PANESS) Gaits and Stations with performance-based and self-reported balance measures” by Rerkmoung et al., “Impact of intensive, multidisciplinary neurorehabilitation on functional independence following pediatric acquired brain injury (ABI): A matched cohort study” by Furman et al., and “Assessing the validity of caregiver-perceived severity in pediatric traumatic brain injury: A comparative analysis with the Glasgow Coma Scale” by Nichols et al. All of these articles have gone through a stringent anonymized peer review process and statistical review when appropriate.
JPRM is “designed to parallel the multidisciplinary teams” caring for people with childhood-onset disabilities. We therefore invite all physiatrists, medical professionals, and community leaders interested in pediatric brain injury to join us in this important endeavor. Together, we can make a significant impact on the lives of children and families affected by brain injury, and pave the way for advancements in pediatric rehabilitation medicine.
In our group, we have the following leaders:
Michael Green, DO. Mike Green is a Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine attending at the University of Utah and Primary Children's Hospital, and Medical Director for the inpatient rehabilitation unit. He is boarded in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, and Brain Injury Medicine. And most of his research and quality improvement projects are related to these fields. Brenda Eagan-Johnson, EdD, CBIST-AP is the State Director of Pennsylvania's BrainSTEPS Brain Injury School Consulting Program. She is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer with Advanced Practice in Neurorehabilitation and co-leads the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA's) Collaborative on Children's Brain Injury. For three decades, her work has focused on identifying learning and behavioral changes in youth and young adults following brain injury, and mediating changes using evidence-based neurorehabilitation and educational practices. Glendaliz Bosques, MD. Glendaliz Bosques is the Chief of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine at Dell Children's Medical Center and Medical Director of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Program at the same hospital. She is an associate professor with the department of Neurology at Dell Medical School in the University of Texas at Austin. She is boarded in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, and Brain Injury Medicine. Most of her scholarly activities focus on acquired disabilities among youth and on developing undergraduate and graduate medical curricular activities and programs to support equitable and accessible systems. Carty Husted, PT, DPT. Carty Husted is the Rehabilitation Manager for the Day Rehabilitation Program at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Her research interest and experience is in neurologic rehabilitation. Kimberly Davis, PhD, ABPP. Kimberly Davis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and the Attending Neuropsychologist for the Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit. She is double boarded in Clinical Neuropsychology and Pediatric Neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr Davis's activities focus on clinical care, education and advocacy for youth with acquired brain injury. In addition to her primary clinical roles, she also serves as the Training Director of the BCM/TCH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology, Past President-Elect of the Pediatric Rehabilitation Neuropsychology Collaborative (PRNC), and Board Member-Elect of the International Pediatric Brain Injury Society (IPBIS).
Our mission is to advance evidence-based care, foster innovation, and create a global forum for dialogue across disciplines. We aim to continue publishing state of the art research and clinical guidelines containing practical information for clinicians. By bridging these historical silos and promoting an integrated approach, the journal's Brain Injury Special Issue will hopefully catalyze progress in prevention, management, rehabilitation, and long-term support. We invite clinicians, researchers, and advocates worldwide to join us in shaping the future.
Together we can transform care and change lives!
Footnotes
Funding
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Declaration of conflicting interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.