Brief Test of Head Injury (BTHI)

Brief Test of Head Injury (BTHI), by Nancy Helm-Estabrooks and Gillian Hotz, is a 20- to 30-minute bedside assessment for clients with severe head trauma. It efficiently evaluates cognitive, linguistic, and communicative abilities, making it an ideal first assessment post-coma. Because the test is brief, it can be administered in multiple short sessions. It is sensitive to small performance changes, allowing clinicians to track recovery patterns during spontaneous recovery and advise team members on optimal communication and treatment strategies. Items in the BTHI are grouped into orientation, linguistic organization, reading comprehension, naming, memory, and visual-spatial skills. Both gestural and verbal responses are recorded. Standardized in both acute-care and rehabilitation settings, the BTHI comprises 50 items that provide a performance baseline at the initial session and facilitate ongoing assessments.

Includes examiner's manual, stimulus card set, manipulatives set, 25 record forms, and carrying case.