Harnessing the Brain's Power to Adapt After Injury

Comments

Recovering/Demonstrating
Shaun Best

2/16/2012 10:24:11 PM

The brain is complex!! After several cognitive challenges/brain injuries (www.lapublishing.com/blog/2009/brain-injury-words-people/), I was told that I would never teach school or speak to crowds regarding the brains' ability/potential to relearn. That was incorrect, but I had to deal with this assumption for over three decades. Some of the ways I used to relearn are: repeating material both verbally & written, listening to notes repeatedly, discussing material with a fellow student, getting started early in studying the day of the exam like 3-4 am, etc.

Adapting is what the brain can do for all. It was created with this is mind, because we all can succeed & the brain is surrounded by fluid. Don't say never to anyone with cognitive challenges, because I'm still knocking down barriers used to isolate & deny us acceptance. If I can work with Wal-Marts demonstrating the negative effects of not wearing a helmet, like what was true for me, in the bike areas, which demonstrates the skills lost to cognitive challenges, then the sky is the limit for everyone else. Feel free to contact Big Mike (870)234-7800, Tina (870)836-8000, Stacy (870)862-2128. These are three stores that have allowed me to speak on the value of helmets, since I wasn't wearing one. This can potentially reduce the expense of $2.3 billion on healthcare cost, yearly.

Rehab
M. E. Lee

8/12/2008 11:07:32 AM

 My husband is post TBI 2 years today. The therapist and doctors at UF's Shands gave up on him after just 3 1/2 weeks. He went to rehab straight from the hospital post accident 5 1/2 weeks. He was so drugged, he could not stay awake long enough to participate. WHEN IS IT TOO LATE TO REHABILITATE?

Stroke/CVA
Loretta Perkins

6/15/2008 11:01:55 AM

1/31/2002 I suffered a CVA. It was on the left side of my brain. I still have limited use of my Rt Arm. I can walk for short distance with an AFO and a quad cane. Could you tell me what progress have science made with helping people with my problems? A quarter of my brain on left side is dead where the bleed was. One of the issue I fight with is difficulties I have with numbers.

I would love to know where I could go to for specized help. University of the Pacfic professors are going to write a paper on me. I go there as a volenteer as a patient with the Physical Therapy Class. I live in California near the town of Stockton about 60 miles from Sacramento.

Reeducation
Nancy Magnusson

3/18/2008 7:05:21 AM

 Is anyone looking into studying the efficacy of the Feldenkrais Method after such injuries? If not, why not?

Therapy(2)
olha rudakevych

1/14/2008 11:43:09 AM

Though I agree that physical therapy is very important, I strongly believe that attention to the whole patient must be given. Besides a brain and body, we patients possess a mind and soul, too, and attention to all is equally important.

Our brains and our inner selves (that obscure, enigmatic, intricate and inexplicable part of us) hunger for music therapy, reading/discussing therapy, creative art therapy just as much as our bodies hunger for physical therapy. I'm curious: have any studies been done on artists with brain injuries?

Further Study
Ann T. Mejia

11/27/2007 11:35:03 AM

I am a Traumatic Brain Injury survivor. It was a car accident in 1986. Unable to get SSDI, I'm considering pursuing study in the neuroscience field. What can you tell me of studies done on such candidates?