After the “Decade of the Brain” and the National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference on Brain Injury, it has become clear that substantive advancement in finding a “cure” for brain injury and significantly improving the quality of life for persons with brain injury has not occurred.

Brain Injury is a silent epidemic that strikes 1.5 million Americans yearly. Ninetythousand Americans live with a permanent disability as a result of their brain injury and two-thousand will exist in a vegetative state. The costs to the individual, the family and society are staggering—in suffering, incalculable, and in dollars, $57 billion annually. Finding a cure and improving outcomes will benefit all of society.

Who is injured? Young children, adolescents, young adults and the elderly. With the war on terrorism in the Middle East, our young American soldiers are being injured at an alarming rate. Forty percent of all wartime injuries are head injuries.

• Bring 20 cutting-edge research scientists in the fields of neurobiology, neuroscience, neurosurgery, neurotechnology, neuropharmacology and neurorehabilitation together to present new and promising research, and bring internationally recognized experts to question and respond to the scientists.
• Bring 30 observers from medicine, rehabilitation, ethics, advocacy and family caregivers to participate as observers and discussants.
• Review research questions raised by Guidelines and Standards of Care Protocols.
• Provide a forum for discussion on promising new research, technology and treatment leading to a “cure” and to improved outcomes.
• Develop a consensus document on next steps in brain injury rehabilitation leading to a better quality of life.
• Refocus research in brain injury with a new five-year research plan.
• Prepare a paper for publication in leading research and neurorehabilitation peerreviewed scientific journals.
• Bring 10 students from science and medicine to learn and participate as observers, recorders and discussants.
• Use the results of the International Symposium to establish a $100 million (public-private) fund for brain injury research aimed at improving outcomes leading to a better quality of life.

On Friday, October 14, as a kickoff to the International Symposium, Memorial Medical Center is sponsoring a Neurological Trauma Conference.

This gathering will focus on multiple aspects associated with the care of neuro-trauma patients.

• Attendees will include prehospital care providers, nurses, physicians and rehab specialists
• Speakers will consist of local and nationally recognized practioners, each devoted to the treatment of the neurotrauma patient
• Lecturers will discuss regional, national and international care practices