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Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can result in physical, emotional, and/or cognitive symptoms that negatively impact everyday tasks. To assist rehabilitation referral for mTBI, the primary purpose of this study was to compare utility of a new tool, the Cognitive Symptom Screening Tool (CSST), against commonly used assessments of concussion symptoms in determining referral patterns to speech-language pathology (SLP) and other rehabilitation disciplines. The secondary purpose was to compare the CSST with SLP specific assessment tools in determining dosage/length of SLP services. Results indicated that the CSST and objective testing of cognitive function could predict SLP referral. For those referred for SLP services, the CSST and a self-report measure of metacognition were most closely associated with number of SLP treatment sessions. Overall, the CSST showed promise in both directing referrals and determining plans of care for people with mTBI. Continued study is warranted to examine clinical use of the CSST.