A randomized trial of two treatments for mild traumatic brain injury

The purpose of this study was to compare an education-oriented single session treatment (SS) for mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) to a more extensive assessment, education, and treatment-as-needed intervention (TAN). Participants were 111 adults with MTBI who were recruited from consecutive admissions to two hospital emergency wards. They were randomly assigned to either the SS or TAN modality. The groups did not differ on any demographic, injury-related, or questionnaire variable when first seen within 3 weeks of injury. The groups generally improved a similar amount and did not differ from each other on any symptom-related, functional, or vocational variables 3-4 months after their baseline session. Patient satisfaction ratings with services provided were also similar for the two groups. Brief educational intervention given soon after MTBI appears to be adequate for most MTBI survivors.