I began my career at Westmead Hospital as a Clinical Neuropsychologist where I initially developed the Westmead PTA Scale. I then joined Macquarie University where I continued research into the measurement of post-traumatic amnesia, amongst other topics, and had a long-term involvement as the Director of the Postgraduate Neuropsychology programs. I was also the Director of a private Medicolegal Neuropsychological Consutancy. Since my retirement I have remained research active. I also hold an appointment as a Clinical Mentor (non-practicing) at Advanced Neuropsychological Treatment Services, a Sydney based private neuropsychology practice with a close affiliation to Macquarie University. I have a keen interest in case formulation in complex matters, research supervision, peer review and encouraging junior practitioners in critical thinking and evidence-based practice. I have a special interest in the diagnostic accuracy of screening tools, detection of deception, substance use disorder and sports related concussion. The links below are related to resources for the Westmead PTA Scales.

Westmead PTA Resources

The PTA Protocol

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Abbreviated Westmead PTA Scale (A-WPTAS)

NSW Health A-WPTAS Training

NSW Health Initial Management of Closed Head Injury in Adults, 2nd Edition (2011)

Glasgow Coma Scale

Westmead PTA Scales Key References

· Shores, E.A., Marosszeky, J.E., Sandanam, J. & Batchelor, J. (1986). Preliminary validation of a clinical scale for measuring the duration of post-traumatic amnesia. Medical Journal of Australia, 144, 569-572.
· Shores, E.A. (1989). Comparison of the Westmead PTA Scale and Glasgow Coma Scale as predictors of neuropsychological outcome following extremely severe blunt head injury. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 52, 126-127.
· Marosszeky, N.E.V., Batchelor, J., Shores, E.A., Marosszeky, J.E., Klein-Boonschate, M. & Fahey, P.P. (1993). The performance of hospitalized, non head-injured children on the Westmead PTA Scale. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 7, 85-95.
· Ponsford, J., Cameron, P., Wilmott, C., Rothwell, A., Kelly, A-M, Nelms, R., & Ng, K. (2004). Use of the Westmead PTA scale to monitor recovery after mild head injury. Brain Injury, 18, 603-14.
· Shores, E. A. (1995). Further concurrent validity on the Westmead PTA Scale. Applied Neuropsychology, 2, 167-169.
· Shores, E. A., Lammél, A., Hullick, C., Sheedy, J., Flynn, M., Levick, W., & Batchelor, J. (2008). The diagnostic accuracy of the Revised Westmead PTA Scale as an adjunct to the Glasgow Coma Scale in the early identification of cognitive impairment in patients with
mild traumatic brain injury. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 79, 1100-1106.
· Meares, S., Shores, E. A., Taylor, Lammél, A., & Batchelor, J. (2011). Validation of the Abbreviated Westmead Post-traumatic Amnesia Scale: A brief bedside measure to identify acute cognitive impairment in patients with mild traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury, 25, 1198-1205.
· Meares, S., Shores, E. A., Smyth, T., Batchelor, J., Murphy, M., & Vukasovic, M. (2015). Identifying post-traumatic amnesia in individuals with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 15 following mild traumatic brain injury. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 96, 956-9.
· Ponsford J, Spitz G, McKenzie D. Using posttraumatic amnesia
to predict outcome after traumatic brain injury. Journal of Neurotrauma, 33, 997–1004
· Tesson, S. A.. Nogajski, R. R., Macey, J-A., Paget, S. (2016). Reliability of the Abbreviated Westmead Post-traumatic Amnesia Scale in children: Impact of age on test results. Emergency medicine Australasia, 28,73-77.
· Hayter, C., Meares, S., & Shores, E. A. (2017). The Abbreviated Westmead Post-Traumatic Amnesia Scale and Pocket Concussion Recognition Tool: Data from Amateur Sports Players in Live Match Conditions. Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, 24, 30-41.
· Meares, S. & Shores, E. A. (2017). The Abbreviated Westmead Post-traumatic Amnesia Scale: A procedure to identify post-traumatic amnesia after mild traumatic brain injury. The Neuropsychologist, 4, 33-40.
· Spiteri, C., Ponsford, J., Jones, H., McKay, A. (2020). Posttraumatic Amnesia Scale, Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test, and Confusion Assessment Protocol as measures of acute recovery
following traumatic brain injury. Journal of head Trauma Rehabilitation. In Press.
· Ponsford, J., Carrier, S., Hicks, A., & McKay, A. (2020). Assessment and management of patients in the acute stages of recovery following traumatic brain injury in adults– a world-wide survey. Journal of Neurotrauma. In Press.