Many events that lead to mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are also psychologically traumatic or occur in the broader context of ongoing psychological trauma. In such cases, individuals may experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This presentation focuses on the clinical complexities of co-occurring mTBI and PTSD. The presentation will cover the epidemiology of PTSD following TBI; cognitive, neural, psychological, and contextual mechanisms that may complicate recovery; the clinical presentation of mTBI and PTSD, with a focus on neuropsychological, emotional, and functional features; and implications for neuropsychological assessment and treatment/rehabilitation. Case examples will be interwoven with discussion of the empirical literature.

After the webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Describe common clinical features associated with co-occurring mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
2. Discuss potential mechanisms that may complicate recovery from psychological and brain trauma following TBI events that are also psychologically traumatic.
3. Utilize premorbid, post-injury, and assessment information in assessing patients with history of mild TBI and current PTSD.
4. Explain limitations in sole reliance on neuropsychological test data to make differential etiological attributions of mild TBI vs. PTSD.

Target Audience: Neuropsychologists, rehabilitation psychologists, and other psychologists working with adult patients with history of mild traumatic brain injury

Instructional Level: Intermediate