ABSTRACT
The field of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has evolved since the time of the United States (US) Civil War in response to the needs of patients with injuries and disabilities resulting from war. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) through the collaborative efforts of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) have been in the forefront of the development of the interdisciplinary approach to the rehabilitation of soldiers with TBI, particularly those injured in the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The objectives of this literature review are to examine how the casualties resulting from major wars in the past led to the establishment of the current model of evaluation and treatment of TBI and to review how the field has expanded in response to the growing cohort of young, brain-injured veterans.
