Congress is about to approve millions in federal spending that will teeter on the edge of compromising decades of scientific progress.
asserted
that → approve → progress
S. 2898, the Dennis John Benigno Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act, requires the study of long-term effects of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, but its current draft undermines the very science it intends to promote.
asserted
it → require → science
By redefining the statutory definition to include brain damage not caused by an external force, such as anoxia or infection, this bill creates a methodological nightmare by promoting the idea that combining traditional TBI survivors with non-traditional TBI survivors is scientifically acceptable.
asserted
combining → redefine → survivors
This mix would render any research findings invalid.
asserted
findings → render → ?
As a 64-year-old survivor of a pediatric traumatic brain injury who went on to complete my education and become a master-level social worker and research scientist, I cannot underscore the urgency for well-designed studies to help lead the way for all those who come — or will come — after me, even if some brain injury advocates might push for the inclusion of non-TBI as a traumatic brain injury.
uncertain
advocates → go → injury
I appreciate the proponents’ general position for this — to access much-needed funding and services and to generate greater public awareness, to name a few.
asserted
I → appreciate → few
Both TBIs and acquired brain injuries, such as anoxia, happen unexpectedly.
asserted
TBIs → acquire → anoxia
TBI survivors must also deal with the experience of trauma, such as that from a car crash or domestic violence.
asserted
survivors → deal → crash
The proponents are right in a way — they might share overlapping symptoms such as memory impairment and chronic fatigue.
uncertain
they → share → impairment
But the telling tale is that all TBIs are acquired brain injuries, but not all acquired brain injuries are TBIs.
asserted
injuries → tell → ?
We need to keep them separate in both legislation and research to better serve each population group.
asserted
We → need → group
Proponents arguing for this redefinition may have gone too far.
uncertain
Proponents → argue → redefinition
We must retain the traditional understanding of TBI and keep the definition consistent with those across the field.
asserted
We → retain → field
For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that TBI is an injury that affects how the brain works.
asserted
brain → state → Control
This injury may be caused by an external force, such as a blow to the head sustained from a motorcycle accident.
uncertain
injury → cause → accident
Combining traditional TBI survivors with patients sustaining non-traumatic acquired brain injuries will distort the study results in unpredictable ways and threaten their use for both groups.
asserted
Combining → combine → groups
The outcome of any given study would depend entirely on the composition of the study sample.
asserted
outcome → give → sample
Some studies may include more non-traumatic acquired brain injury survivors than traditionally defined TBI survivors, while other studies may not even include a single TBI survivor.
uncertain
studies → include → survivor
This is because, under the proposed redefinition, they are all now considered the same.
asserted
they → propose → redefinition
This does more than just muddy the data.
asserted
This → do → data
It can misinform clinicians and therapists on the best approaches to care and treatment.
asserted
It → misinform → care
It can distort the views of patients and their families who may be looking for guidance on what they could expect.
uncertain
they → distort → what
We cannot misattribute the challenges of recovery for one population group with another, even if they share common symptoms.
asserted
they → misattribute → symptoms
At a societal level, if institutions and organizations begin to question the merits of scientific work, they could pause launching more long-term studies, according to Sten Vermund at Yale School of Public Health.
uncertain
they → begin → Health
All of these examples or reasons will lead us down the wrong path.
asserted
All → lead → path
The draft legislation, if left unamended, will waste taxpayer money on flawed science.
asserted
legislation → leave → science
This is one of many concerns that researchers work hard to guard against — compromising scientific standards in their work.
asserted
researchers → work → work
It is unlikely that the statutory definition applies only to the count of how many people live with a TBI, but not to the study of the long-term effects of one.
asserted
people → apply → one
The redefinition must be grounded.
asserted
redefinition → ground → ?
It must be applied across the board to all sections of the legislation — not selectively applied to whatever suits the proponents’ interests at a single moment in time.
asserted
whatever → apply → time
We cannot risk decades of progress on a faulty push to remake traumatic brain injury for expediency.
asserted
We → risk → expediency
We must demand a basic level of scientific integrity for the promises of the TBI reauthorization act to come true.
asserted
promises → demand → act
The Aporia
