At OHSU, you’ll find the expertise and services you need for a brain injury, from mild to severe. We provide the best possible care for children and adults, from diagnosis through rehabilitation and recovery.

You’ll find:

• Specialists with advanced training in diagnosing and treating brain injuries, including concussions.
• Team-based care for children and adults, with many specialists working together to treat a head injury and any other injuries.
• A Pediatric Intensive Care Unit staffed with children’s specialists, and the West Coast’s only program for children recovering from a serious illness or injury.
• Oregon’s first intensive care unit with advanced 24/7 care specifically for adults with a serious brain injury or illness.
• Rehabilitation specialists with specific training in treating patients with brain and nerve conditions.

Learn more

• Concussion
• Traumatic brain injury
• Meet our team

What are concussions and traumatic brain injuries?

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are typically divided into three categories: mild, moderate and severe. All TBIs, though, can result in serious symptoms and disability.

• Concussions are mild TBIs. No obvious brain injury is found, but brain function is impaired. A patient with a concussion can be treated in a clinic without brain imaging. The patient may need rehabilitation.
• Severe and moderate TBIs involve a skull fracture, brain bleeding or damage to brain tissue that impairs brain function. Severe TBIs usually require hospital care, brain imaging and specialized rehabilitation.

Concussion

The OHSU Concussion Clinic treats children, teens and adults with concussion. The clinic, part of the OHSU Sports Medicine Clinic, specializes in caring for athletes and non-athletes with a recent concussion.

• Call the clinic at 503-494-1950. Our intake team will help you arrange an appointment with the specialist best able to meet your needs.
• Your regular pediatrician or primary care doctor can also refer you to the clinic for further evaluation. We put a high priority on keeping your doctor involved in your concussion care.

Moderate and severe traumatic brain injury

For severe traumatic brain injuries, patients may arrive at our emergency department for care with our highly trained emergency medicine providers.

Complete care

OHSU brings together specialists for any type of brain injury, from sports medicine doctors to neurosurgeons.

Concussion care: Our concussion program features doctors trained in sports medicine and primary care. The team also includes neuropsychologists, psychologists, therapists and athletic trainers skilled in helping athletes and others recover from concussion and other sports injuries.

Pediatric care: Services for children include an advanced Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, a program specifically for children recovering from a serious illness or injury, and a “quick brain” MRI to quickly check for brain injury.

Neurocritical care: Our Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit is the first in Oregon with 24/7 care from neurointensivists, physician associates and nurse practitioners. The unit also includes continuous monitoring and immediate access to advanced imaging.

Top trauma center: OHSU and Doernbecher provide the highest level of trauma care: OHSU is a Level 1 trauma center, and Doernbecher is a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center and a Level 1 Site for Children’s Surgery.

Rehabilitation: Therapists in our state-of-the-art rehabilitation center have specific expertise for patients with brain, spinal cord or nerve injuries. Our neurologic rehabilitation care includes expert physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language therapists who can help you manage symptoms and regain function. Our rehab center also offers expert care for children.

Research and clinical trials

As Oregon’s only academic health center, we are a hub of research on concussion and other brain injuries.

• Researchers in OHSU’s Balance Disorders Laboratory are studying the best ways to care for patients after a concussion. Their work includes a clinical trial using wearable sensors to see how patients recover. They’re received $6.6 million in research grants from the U.S. Defense Department.
• Our scientists have published hundreds of studies in medical journals on brain injuries.
• Look for a clinical trial. For more information, contact us at 503-418-2602 or  concussionresearch@ohsu.edu.
• Learn more about clinical trials at the OHSU Brain Institute, one of the nation’s leading centers for innovative research.

Resources

• OHSU high school athlete program, including concussion testing and management
• Traumatic Brain Injury & Concussion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• CDC Heads Up, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Traumatic Brain Injury Information Page, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Traumatic Brain Injury; Hope Through Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Brain Injury Alliance of Oregon
• The Center on Brain Injury Research and Training, funded by the Oregon Department of Education
• About Brain Injury, Brain Injury Association of America
• Brain Trauma Foundation