James Christensen, M.D.

James Christensen, M.D.
Associate Professor
Director of Pediatric Rehabilitation, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and The Kennedy Krieger Institute

Dr. Christensen is a 1975 graduate of the University of Nebraska School of Medicine. He obtained his PM&R residency training at the Sinai-Johns Hopkins PM&R program, his pediatric training at Johns Hopkins, and his developmental pediatric training at The Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins. He is Director of Pediatric Rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and The Kennedy Krieger Institute. His clinical and research interests are outcomes and interventions for pediatric traumatic brain injury and rehabilitation models of care.

Education:
1972 B.S. with Honors, Nebraska Wesleyan University
1975 M.D., University of Nebraska

Faculty Appointment:
Associate Professor, Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Hospital and Administrative Appointments:
Director of the Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine for the Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Kennedy Krieger Institute
President of the Medical Staff, The Kennedy Krieger Institute

Specialty Certifications:
American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine (ABPM&R)
American Academy of Pediatrics

Honors:
Alpha Omega Alpha
Golden Goniometer Award (residents’ teacher award) 1988, 1997
2001 “Parents’ Choice Award” for: The Special-Needs Collection: Children with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Representative Publications:

1. White JRM, Farukhi Z, Bull C, Christensen J, Gordon T, Paidas C, Nichols D. Predictors of outcome in severely head-injured children. Critical Care Medicine 2001; 29:534-540

2. Gerring JP, Slomine B, Vasa RA, Grados M, Chen A, Rising W, Christensen JR, Denckla MB, Ernst M. Clinical predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder after closed head injury in children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2002;41:157-65.

3. Vasa RA, Gerring JP, Grados M, Slomine B, Christensen JR, Rising W, Denckla MB, Riddle MA. Anxiety after severe pediatric closed head injury. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2002;41:148-56.

4. Slomine BS, Gerring JP, Grados MA, Vasa R, Brady KD, Christensen J, Denckla MB. Performance on measures of “executive function” following pediatric traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury 2002;16:759-72.

5. Vasa RA, Grados M, Slomine B, Herskovits EH, Thompson RE, Salorio C, Christensen J, Wursta C, Riddle MA, Gerring JP. Neuroimaging correlates of anxiety after pediatric traumatic brain injury. Biol Psychiatry 2004;55:208-16.

6. Slomine BS, Brintzenhofeszoc K, Salorio CF, Warren L, Wieczorek BH, Carney J, Moore DA, Christensen JR. A method for performance evaluation using WeeFIM data collected for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' ORYX initiative: The 0.5 band control chart analysis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004; 85:512-6.

7. Hattiangadi N, Pillion JP, Slomine B, Christensen JR, Trovato M, Speedie LJ, Characteristics of Auditory Agnosia in a Child with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Report. Brain and Language 2005; 92:12-25.

8. Slomine, B.S., Salorio, C., Grados, M., Vasa, R., Christensen, J., & Gerring, J. Differences in attention, executive functioning, and memory in children with and without ADHD after severe traumatic brain injury. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. 2005; 11: 645-53.

9. McCarthy ML, Mackenzie EJ, Durbin DR, Aitken ME, Jaffe KM, Paidas CN, Slomine BS, Dorsch AM, Berk RA, Christensen JR, Ding R; CHAT Study Group. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory: An Evaluation of Its Reliability and Validity for Children With Traumatic Brain Injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2005 Oct; 86(10): 1901-1909.

10. Salorio, C. F., Slomine, B.S., Grados, M.A, Vasa, R.A., Christensen, J.R., & Gerring, J.P. Neuroanatomic correlates of CVLT-C performance following pediatric TBI. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. 2005 Oct; 11(6):686-96.

11. McCarthy M.L., MacKenzie EJ, Durbin DR, Aitken ME, Jaffe KM, Paidas DN, Slomine BS, Dorsch AM, Christensen JR, Ding R. Health‑Related Quality of Life During the First Year Post Traumatic Brain Injury. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 2006;160:252-260

12. Trovato M., Slomine B., Pidcock F., Christensen J. The efficacy of Donepezil Hydrochloride on memory functioning in three adolescents with severe traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury 2006;20(3):339-43.

13. Slomine B.S., McCarthy, M.L. Ding R, MacKenzie EJ, Jaffe KM, Aitken ME, Durbin DR, Christensen JR, Dorsch AM, Paidas CN, and the CHAT Study Group. Healthcare Utilization and Needs Following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury. Pediatrics. 2006(March 13);Epub.

Current Address:
Kennedy Krieger Institue
707 North Broadway
Baltimore, MD 21205 USA

Phone: 443-923-9440
Fax: 443-923-9445
Email: Christensenj@kennedykrieger.org