To make a referral please contact:

Dr. Rick Junnila

925-978-2225

rick@DrRickJ.com

The COGNISION® System Solution

Traumatic Brain Injury Evaluation is Not Just for Athletes

The Brain Injury Society

“In fact, motor vehicle accidents (MVA) and falls are responsible for most TBIs suffered by Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2 million Americans per year experience TBI, with 14.3% caused by traffic accidents and 40.5% caused by falls. That means some 286,000 TBIs result from car crashes annually. The actual number may be much higher, because brain injuries aren’t always immediately obvious after an accident. Indeed, TBI is commonly referred to as a “silent” epidemic because many people do not associate brain injury with concussions—the most common form of TBI.”

https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html

According to the Brain Injury Society an often overlooked diagnosis in accidental injuries is Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI).  Missing an mTBI diagnosis can lead to a lifetime of emotional struggle, physical and financial turmoil, and even depression and suicide for head injury victims.

  • Frye and Daubert Admissible
  • FDA cleared
  • Merck Pharmaceutical Research Device
  • Boston VA Research Device
  • ACOEM Recommended

According to the Mayo Clinic EEG may also play a role in diagnosing head injury and other brain disorders.

COGNISION® EEG also uses FDA cleared Event Related Potential (ERP) and Quantitative EEG (QEEG) technology to examine the functionality of the brain.

DAUBERT ADMISSIBILITY

As of 1/1/2021 Cognition EEG-ERP brain testing has withstood trial challenges in the States of Kentucky, Oklahoma, Florida, Oregon, and Georgia as being an objective finding for brain injury.

EEG has several benefits compared to imaging techniques (imaging shows brain anatomy, not brain function) or pure behavioral observations (counselors and neuropsychologists).  EEG/ERP shows brain function like an EKG shows function of the heart.

It is also relatively inexpensive and can be performed anywhere… we will come to you

85% of TBI’s are Missed

According to Jim Mathis, insurance expert: State Farm and Allstate’s annual analysis of types of injury being submitted for demand, compared to what was actually in the medical records (doctors and nursing notes), 85% of records had descriptions of a TBI but TBI was not in the attorney’s demands.

 The reasons may include:

  • The patient was not worked up with objective diagnostic findings by the doctor (positive EEG-ERP, positive CT, or positive MRI).
  • TBI or Concussion is not entered into the diagnosis coding section by the physician.
  • When diagnosed with Concussion or TBI the attorney misses entering it into the demand.
  • The patient did not receive nor was recommended treatment for concussion/TBI.

 Solution:  An EEG-ERP is an inexpensive test that we can be performed even at the patient’s home.  The test cost includes travel, testing, and neurologist reporting. 

 We are currently able to perform testing throughout California.  Should you need testing outside of California, call us and we have a group of technicians who can perform the test for you.

TBI and Homeless

Recent Research suggests that 53% of the homeless population is due to Traumatic Brain Injury:

Another research article suggests that:

One in two homeless people may have experienced a head injury in their lifetime.

Almost one in four may have experienced a head injury that is moderate or severe.

 The lifetime prevalence of moderate or severe TBI in this population could be nearly 10 times higher than estimates in the general population.

COGNISION® System FAQ

Brief History of EEG

The electroencephalogram (EEG) has been in use to measure electric activity in the human brain for over 90 years. Since the first reading was performed by German physiologist and psychiatrist Hans Berger, doctors and scientists have learned to use EEG measurements to diagnose various medical conditions from minor trauma brain injury to epilepsy. 

Is the COGNISION® System EEG FDA cleared?

Yes

How big and cumbersome is the COGNISION® System?

It's about the size of an iPhone. A lot of powerful miniaturized technology.

What is ERP?

ERP is Event Related Potential.  An event-related potential is the measured brain response that is the direct result of a specific sensory, cognitive, or motor event. ERPs are measured by EEG. It measures brain activity time-locked to a specific event during the EEG for better identification of injury. More often than not, concussion is micro trauma resulting from stretched neurons and chemical changes not evidenced on CT or MRI.

Did you know?

EEG/ERP is ACOEM recommended, FDA cleared, the VA in Boston is using it for research, Merck Pharmaceutical is also using it for research, it is Fry and Daubert admissible and it is used by the NFL.

Can COGNISION® System be used for QEEG?

Yes. Cognision System incorporates FDA cleared technology that will allow data to be used for QEEG to help evaluate brain function.

Does COGNISION® System diagnose concussion or mTBI?

Cognision System is part of a protocol using strict medical necessity guidelines to help establish an Altered Mental Status diagnosis which can include concussion or mTBI when prior history, psychological factors, exam findings, complicating factors, etc., are all considered by the physician. See "EEG Medical Necessity".​

Can't I do the same thing with a simple Quantitative EEG (QEEG) device?

QEEG's immediately interpret data using computer software algorithms based on comparing EEG findings to a normative database. However, this process omits one critical step; interpretation of the data by a trained neurologist or neurophysiologist. Because of this omission, QEEG cannot be billed using CPT codes for EEG. Also, QEEG is not recommended for use in civil or criminal judicial proceedings. (Strong Class III evidence, Type E recommendation).     

So, I need an EEG interpreted by a neurologist/neurophysiologist along with the QEEG in order to bill EEG CPT codes or rely on the reports in a med legal setting?

Yes. 

Who performs the Professional Component (PC) or the EEG/ERP "reads"?

TBI Evidence does not perform the PC or "reads" of the EEG/ERP. Some clients may want to keep the EEG/ERP PC within their practices. Other doctors have long-time relationships with medical experts they highly trust and choose to have them perform the reads. For clients that want to include the read into the PI EEG/ERP test package cost we can recommend an expert neurologist to perform the reads for a very reasonable fee. 

Is COGNISION® EEG/ERP easy to use or require any specialized training?

It is easy to use and through proprietary software wirelessly connects to your desktop or laptop. It requires no highly specialized training or credentialed technician. 

The ordering doctor has absolutely no experience interpreting EEG results so what do I do?

For the QEEG report, Cognision experts will provide on line educational webinars so doctors can learn how to easily and accurately communicate results to patients. The EEG report from the neurologist will also be in an easy-to-understand format. Should a doctor prefer their own interpretation expert, Cognision will train and allow cloud access to the neurologists or neurophysiologistst they chose. 

Click here for Free Educational Webinar

Will Medicare and other insurances pay for it?

Yes. But Medicare will pay only when used by an MD or DO.