BI-ISIG News
ACRM BI-ISIG: Shaping the Future of Brain Injury Rehabilitation
The Brain Injury Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group (BI-ISIG) at ACRM has long been a driving force in advancing care, research, and innovation for individuals with brain injury. Since its inception, this vibrant and dedicated group of professionals has played a pivotal role in shaping the field.
In fact, the influence of the ACRM BI-ISIG stretches back to the 1970s when it developed the very definition of “Mild Brain Injury” — a foundational milestone that continues to guide clinical understanding today. Over the decades, the BI-ISIG has remained at the forefront of progress, fostering collaboration across disciplines and producing impactful resources that advance rehabilitation science and practice.
For professionals passionate about brain injury care and research, the ACRM BI-ISIG offers an opportunity to engage with a prolific community that’s making a difference. Together, this group is paving the way for brighter outcomes and stronger support systems for individuals and families impacted by brain injury.
Join the conversation. Shape the future.
JOIN the ACRM BI-ISIG to get involved, make your mark & IMPROVE LIVES — including your own.
CALL FOR BRAIN INJURY PROPOSALS
Plan now to present your latest research or evidence-based knowledge at the ACRM Annual Fall Conference & EXPO. See submission guidelines and deadlines >>
MOVING AHEAD
This semi-annual newsletter of the ACRM BI-ISIG, reports the news, updates, progress, and opportunities that spring from the group’s many task forces and dedicated members.
ACRM Mild TBI Task Force Redefines Concussions
Researchers from a working group of 17 ACRM Brain Injury Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group Mild TBI Task Force members and an external interdisciplinary expert panel of 32 international clinician-scientists published The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Diagnostic Criteria for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. To see the full article, please visit this link.
William Fields Caveness Award Winner
The William Fields Caveness Award is presented in recognition of an individual who, through research on both a national and international level, has made outstanding contributions to bettering the lives of people with brain injury. This year’s award winner, Angela Colantonio, Ph.D., OT Reg. (Ont.), FCAHS, FACRM, is the director of the University of Toronto’s Rehabilitation Sciences Institute and a professor in the department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. She is a senior research scientist at the KITE/Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network, is affiliated with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and is an adjunct scientist at ICES.
Dr. Colantonio leads an internationally recognized research program on acquired brain injury, which focuses on women, sex and gender, return-to-work, violence, and underserved populations such as persons experiencing homelessness, intimate partner violence, and involvement with the justice system. Dr. Colantonio has led numerous cohort studies examining long-term outcomes after TBI by sex, including large, population-based studies documenting both traumatic and non-traumatic brain injury across the continuum of care.
Dr. Colantonio has written more than 270 publications and has presented to more than 500 audiences. She is a former board member of Brain Injury Canada and ACRM. She currently serves as research chair on the Pink Concussions Professional Advisory Board. She is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, ACRM, Ontario Brain Injury Association, and the American College of Epidemiology. She received the 2015 Robert L. Moody Prize for Distinguished Initiatives in Brain Injury Research and Rehabilitation and has received awards from Brain Injury Canada and ACRM. She is most grateful for the contributions of so many dedicated trainees, colleagues, staff, clinicians, funders, and other stakeholders that made this work possible. In particular, she is thankful for the generous mentorship and support provided by persons affected by brain injury throughout her research program.
Sheldon Berrol, MD Clinical Service Award Winner
The Sheldon Berrol, MD, Clinical Service Award is presented each year to an individual who, through a long service career, has made outstanding contributions to improving the quality of care, professional training, and education in the field of brain injury. This year’s winner is Lance Trexler, PhD, FACRM. Dr. Trexler is the executive director, Brain Injury Rehabilitation Research and Program Development at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, adjunct clinical assistant professor of PM&R at the Indiana University School of Medicine, adjunct assistant professor of speech and hearing sciences at Indiana University, and adjunct assistant professor of psychological sciences at Purdue University.
Dr. Trexler was designated as a Fellow of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) in 2013, and he received the Distinguished Member Award in 2015 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 from ACRM. In addition to serving as a clinician in rehabilitation neuropsychology since 1979, his overriding commitment as a neuropsychologist has been to develop, implement, and disseminate rehabilitation and social interventions for individuals with acquired brain injury. Dr. Trexler is an author on more than fifty peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.
Practice Guideline on Disorders of Consciousness
For people in a coma, vegetative state or with limited consciousness, an early and accurate diagnosis could mean a better chance for recovery in the first three months, according to a guideline developed by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). The guideline, “Practice guideline update recommendations summary: Disorders of consciousness” posted in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation on August 8, 2018 and is freely available. View the Guideline, Systematic Review and Summaries >>
