Use these links to jump ahead to a relevant section:

• What Will Life After Brain Injury Look Like?
• How to Recover Function After Brain Injury
• How to Improve Your Quality of Life After Brain Injury

What Will Life After Brain Injury Look Like?

Traumatic brain injury can cause severe physical and cognitive limitations. While it is possible to recover from many of these, they can still present significant challenges in your daily life.

The following are a few examples of some of the most common secondary effects you might experience after brain injury:

Physical Symptoms

Severe TBIs can cause various physical symptoms, including:

• Dizziness and balance issues
• Severe headaches
• Spasticity
• Muscle weakness and atrophy

In addition to these symptoms, patients can also experience seizures. These mostly only occur after certain types of traumatic brain injuries, however.

Sensory Problems

A traumatic brain injury can also disrupt the brain’s ability to process the senses. For example, TBI can lead to many visual problems, including:

• Double vision
• Hemi neglect or inattention to one side of the environment
• Light sensitivity
• Loss of depth perception

Besides problems with vision, a severe brain injury can also cause the person to have tactile sensory changes, or even lose their sense of taste and smell, a condition known as anosmia.

Cognitive Impairments

Perhaps the most common difficulties that patients experience after brain injury revolve around cognitive impairments. These include issues such as:

• Attention problems
• Difficulties with decision making and other executive skills
• Memory issues
• Lack of insight

Fortunately, you can treat these and other cognitive issues with cognitive exercises for TBI patients.

Emotional Problems

Finally, patients can develop several emotional problems after brain injury. These are primarily caused by frontal lobe injuries.

Some emotional changes that occur after brain injury include:

• Anxiety
• Low motivation
• Depression
• Severe mood swings (emotional lability)
• Lack of emotional expressiveness (flat affect)

Besides all these symptoms, people with a brain injury can sometimes also develop PTSD from the traumatic event. However, not everyone who sustains a TBI develops PTSD. PTSD tends to go more hand-in-hand with mild TBI, because with more severe injuries, the individual typically does not remember the incident that caused it and may not even be aware that they are injured.

PTSD causes many of the same symptoms as brain injury, but they are accompanied by heightened sensitivity to danger and involuntary memories of the traumatic event.

How to Recover Function After Brain Injury

The above list of symptoms above can seem overwhelming at first, but it is important to realize that not every person will experience every secondary effect.

Still, it can be helpful to know what symptoms you may experience after brain injury. That way you can take the correct actions to minimize their severity.

In fact, many of these symptoms can be treated by activating a process called neuroplasticity. This term refers to the brain’s ability to repair neural connections. It allows people to regain functions even after a devastating injury.

Engaging Neuroplasticity After TBI

The key to activating neuroplasticity lies in therapeutic exercise. That’s why doctors encourage so much therapy in the early stages of recovery.

Even after you return home, it is critical to continue with regular therapy. If you struggle to remember your exercises, have your therapist write you a home exercise sheet to help you know exactly how to do them.

There are also home therapy devices, such as FitMi, which walk you through common exercises. Many patients find that these devices help them stay motivated in a way that hand-out sheets do not.

Beyond exercise however, there are other activities you can practice to improve your life after brain injury. We will discuss those in the sections below.

How to Improve Your Quality of Life After Brain Injury

While life after brain injury will not be easy, it is still possible to achieve happiness. Your life may look a lot different now, but it can still be worthwhile.

The following are a few ways to accomplish this:

1. Follow a Brain Injury Diet Plan

A proper diet plan can boost brain injury recovery. Therefore it’s important to consume foods that promote healthy brain function, such as foods rich in flavonoids and omega-3.

The following are a few examples of the best foods for brain injury:

• Fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel
• Dark chocolate
• Dark, leafy greens such as kale and spinach
• Eggs
• Berries
• Walnuts
• Turmeric root

In addition, it is crucial to avoid fried and processed foods as much as possible after brain injury, as these foods increase inflammation and hamper neuroplasticity.

2. Create a structured routine

In the early stages of your brain injury recovery, your days were most likely fully planned out by others and filled with appointments. If you are like most brain injury patients, however, this schedule didn’t last forever.

Unfortunately, many TBI survivors fall into an unhealthy routine when their schedule opens up. For example, they might sleep in late, spend the afternoon surfing the internet or watching TV, take a nap, and start the routine all over again the next day.

This isn’t meant as a negative judgment. Brain injury makes it much more difficult to make decisions and initiate activities. Therefore, you are not lazy. You might just need help changing your habits.

That’s where a structured routine comes in. It helps you know “what’s next” without having to come up with something on your own every time. That way, you can stay active and prevent decline. Simply engaging in your everyday activities regularly (brushing teeth, getting dressed, bathing, etc.) is a form of “exercise” after TBI, and will boost your recovery if you try to consistently participate.

3. Focus on small victories

It’s important to keep your focus on small victories in the early days of your recovery. This can help you stay motivated to continue your recovery.

For example, instead of focusing on what you have lost, focus on what you have gained during your recovery. Maybe you couldn’t even stand up at all when you first started therapy, and now you can stand for ten seconds unsupported. That’s a big deal, and you should be proud of yourself.

This fact is true for everyone, with or without a brain injury. If you only consider how far you still need to go to get where you want, you’ll soon get discouraged.

But if you break it down into smaller pieces, you’ll find it much easier to stay positive.

4. Stay Physically and Socially Active

As you gain more abilities back, it’s important to stay both physically and socially active.

The more active you are, the more your brain gets stimulated, which helps create new neural pathways and promotes better brain function. Similarly, interacting with peers improves your cognitive function and helps fight off feelings of depression.

If possible, try taking part in some recreational therapy activities for traumatic brain injury patients. These activities are fun ways to stay active and find a social group that understands and supports you.

You can also try volunteering at your local church or charity. Many people find that helping others makes their life after brain injury meaningful again. The key is to have something that keeps you engaged and outside the house at least once a week. This helps improve both your TBI symptoms and your quality of life.

Living Your Life After Brain Injury

As you can see, brain injury doesn’t have to be the end of your story. There are many ways to make your life after brain injury a rewarding experience.

It all depends on how you choose to see your new life. As cliche as it may sound, your attitude really does make all the difference.

If you choose to stay positive and keep yourself active, you’ll have an easier, more fulfilling life than if you focus on the negative.

Yes, life may never look like it did before your injury. Some activities will always be more difficult than they are for others. But this doesn’t mean your life will be empty. You can still find joy and happiness in life after your brain injury. You just have to know where to look.

The post Life After Traumatic Brain Injury: Learn What to Expect and 4 Simple Tips on How to Improve Your Quality of Life appeared first on Flint Rehab.

According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapy includes using “active art-making, the creative process, and applied psychological theory…to enrich the lives of individuals, families, and communities.” Art therapy for brain injury patients is a great way to enhance cognitive and emotional skills and improve overall wellbeing.

If you want to learn more about this awesome therapy for TBI patients, keep reading!

Art Therapy for TBI Recovery

Art therapy for brain injury patients is a personalized therapy approach that can help strengthen cognitive function and emotional resilience. 

While art has helped people find peace and inner healing for millennia, it was only in the mid-twentieth century that art was accepted as a valid therapeutic approach to treating brain injury.

The great thing about art therapy is that it engages both the right and left hemispheres of the brain. In fact, in a recent study, researchers found that art, specifically drawing, activates multiple areas in each hemisphere.

This has huge implications for brain injury patients, since one of the main goals in TBI recovery is to stimulate the brain and activate neuroplasticity, the brain’s natural mechanism for healing itself.

The more you stimulate the brain, the more the brain can form and strengthen neural pathways that repair the damage done to it. This means creating art can literally help heal your brain.

Besides the fact that art therapy activates neuroplasticity, there are many other benefits that it offers for brain injury patients. We’ll look at those in the section below.

Benefits of Art Therapy for Brain Injury Patients

The following are some of the best reasons to try art therapy for brain injury.

1. Sharpen fine motor skills and visual perception

Handling paint on a paintbrush can help improve fine motor coordination and precision. These skills can transfer to other areas of your life, such as eating and other activities involving using utensils in a coordinated manner.

Working on fine details while painting also improves your hand-eye coordination. Plus, painting helps you develop stronger perception skills, since you’ll need to learn how to make 2-D objects look three-dimensional.

2. Improve concentration and attention

Art therapy, whether it involves painting, drawing, or taking a pottery class, requires heavy concentration.

You not only need to concentrate on making a flower the right shape, but you also have to keep in mind where it belongs in relation to the rest of the painting.

This will help you improve your ability to focus for longer periods of time and teach you to keep more than one thing in your mind at once.

You might find this hard at first, but the more you practice, the easier it will become.

3. Boost problem-solving skills

Art might look easy, but it actually takes a lot of hard thinking.

Unless you’re a natural artist, your painting is not going to come out perfectly on the first try. This means you must know how to identify problems in your painting or drawing and find creative solutions.

Again, this won’t happen right away. You probably will get frustrated a lot in the beginning. But art therapy gives you a safe place to develop your problem-solving skills and learn how to work through disappointment.

4. Relieve symptoms of depression and build social skills

Art therapy has been shown to help combat the chemical imbalances that cause depression.

According to one study, brain injury survivors are nearly 11 times more likely to experience depression in the first year  after brain injury than the general population. Therefore, it is critical to find effective methods to combat and/or prevent depression among brain injury survivors. Art therapy can be a great way to do so!

Because it often takes place in groups, art therapy also gives brain injury survivors a chance to rebuild their social skills and form friendships, which is key to making a good recovery.

5. Improve self-management and self-esteem

One of the best reasons to try art therapy after brain injury is it gives you a space where for once, you are in control.

You get to decide what to create, and how to create it. This helps you practice decision making and gives you back some autonomy, which will also boost your self-esteem.

Do you want to paint a landscape with grass and trees and mountains? Go ahead! Do you want to just have fun and mix a bunch of colors together? You can do that too!

There are no wrong answers here; that’s the beauty of art.

6. Increase mental flexibility and perseverance

Painting almost never goes the way you planned. You might run out of the right color, you might have used the wrong brush, or drawn things too big. But mistakes can provide an excellent opportunity to improve mental flexibility.  If something doesn’t look right, you can figure out how to fix it through problem-solving skills, mental flexibility and perseverance.

Doing this often enough will help you develop more flexibility and creativity in the rest of your life as well. You’ll learn not to get too attached to things, since when you’re painting you always have to be prepared to wipe it out and start over.

In short, art therapy teaches you how to deal with unexpected problems in a healthy way. All of that makes it a worthwhile activity for patients after brain injury.

7. Overcome emotional barriers

Sometimes it’s hard to talk openly about your feelings, especially after a brain injury. That’s where art comes in.

Art therapy is a cathartic experience that lets you access feelings deep within your subconscious. It can help you work through any emotional problems you might have in a constructive, non-threatening way.

That’s why so many psychologists prescribe art therapy to their patients suffering PTSD.

In fact, many patients find it helpful to express themselves through painting. They might use colors to represent their feelings, or draw an image that means a lot to them.

Sometimes just the act of immersing yourself in something else for a while, without having to worry about what others think, is enough to relieve feelings of anxiety and anger.

Effects of Art Therapy for Brain Injury Survivors

Over the years, researchers have been examining the use of art therapy to treat a number of conditions. Here are some of the helpful effects of art therapy for brain injury that have been uncovered:

• A 2019 study looking at art therapy in a group setting found that it increased socialization and improved the participants’ emotional states.
• This 2020 study determined that group art therapy in conjunction with psychotherapy could help survivors learn to adapt to challenging life experiences, improve social function, reduce depression symptoms, and learn to better regulate their emotions.
• Another 2020 study found that long-term art therapy, administered over approximately 2 years, could address frustration tolerance, grief and loss, emotion regulation, personal insight, resiliency, and trauma processing among military service members with both TBI and PTSD.

With its many benefits, it is easy to see how art therapy could benefit TBI survivors. If you are interested in art therapy, consider using this locator to find an art therapist near you!

Finding Hope through Art Therapy for Brain Injury Patients

As you can see, art therapy offers many psychological and cognitive benefits for patients after a traumatic brain injury.

Not only does art activate neuroplasticity, it can help improve your mood, problem-solving skills, attention, and coordination.

Most importantly, art helps patients find a healthy outlet for their emotions, and rebuild their sense of self, something few other therapies can offer after a traumatic brain injury.

We hope this article inspires you to add art therapy to your life and find hope after your injury.

The post 7 Benefits of Art Therapy for Brain Injury Patients Plus the Effects and Impact on the Brain appeared first on Flint Rehab.

In this guide, we’ll break down what affects life expectancy after a TBI, take a closer look at survival statistics, and share tips for improving health and well-being in the long run. Let’s dive in!

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

TBI occurs when an external force disrupts the normal function of the brain. Common causes include falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, and violent assaults. TBIs can range from mild (commonly referred to as concussions) to severe, with symptoms varying widely based on the extent and location of brain damage.

• Mild TBI: Typically results in temporary symptoms like headaches, dizziness, or memory issues. These injuries are often non-life-threatening but can still have long-term implications.
• Moderate to Severe TBI: Can cause extended loss of consciousness, significant neurological impairment, and lasting disabilities. These injuries carry a higher risk of complications and mortality.

How TBI Severity Affects Life Expectancy

Mild TBI: Minimal Impact on Life Expectancy

Individuals with mild TBI generally experience a small but statistically significant reduction in life expectancy. According to a study conducted in Olmsted County, Minnesota, the 30-day case fatality rate for mild TBI was just 0.2%, and the long-term risk of death was slightly higher than that of the general population. 

Another study found that while there was an increase in the 5-year mortality risk among those with mild TBI, this was most influenced by preexisting conditions rather than TBI-related changes. Over time, factors like comorbidities, mental health, and lifestyle may contribute more significantly to reduced survival than the TBI itself.

Moderate to Severe TBI: A Higher Mortality Risk

The study based in Olmsted County referenced above found a 30-day case fatality rate of 29% for moderate to severe TBI cases, indicating a much higher risk of early death. Furthermore, according to the CDC, sustaining a moderate to severe TBI shortens life expectancy by an average of 9 years. However, individuals who survive beyond six months who do not have significant complications or disabilities often have a comparable life expectancy to those with mild TBI.The key takeaway is that the first six months following a moderate to severe TBI are critical. During this period, the risk of mortality from complications such as infections, seizures, pneumonia, or organ failure is at its highest. Interestingly, the brain also experiences a heightened ability to repair itself throughout this period. Therefore, pursuing rehabilitation during the first six months after injury is crucial both for optimal recovery and survival rates.

Factors Influencing Long-Term Survival

Age at the Time of Injury

Younger individuals typically have better recovery outcomes and longer survival after TBI than older adults. Older adults are more prone to complications like infections or cognitive decline, which can reduce life expectancy.

Severity of Initial Injury

The extent of brain damage directly correlates with survival rates. Moderate and severe TBIs often result in long-term disabilities, which may increase the risk of secondary complications such as pneumonia, cardiovascular issues, or reduced mobility. Penetrating brain injuries, during which an object punctures the skull and enters the brain, are often more severe and therefore are associated with increased mortality risk as well.

Pre-existing Conditions

Conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease can worsen outcomes for TBI survivors. These conditions not only increase the risk of initial complications but can also reduce overall survival over the long term.

Mental Health and Behavioral Factors

Post-TBI mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are common. These conditions may lead to higher risks of suicide or substance abuse, which can impact longevity.

Recurrent Brain Injury

While having even one brain injury can impact longevity, experiencing recurrent brain injuries can further increase mortality risk. Therefore, individuals who engage in high-risk activities, such as contact sports, should be especially careful.

Rehabilitation and Support

Access to high-quality rehabilitation services—such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy—can significantly improve outcomes. Social and emotional support from family and caregivers also plays a crucial role in enhancing recovery and quality of life.

Survival Statistics After Brain Injury

The Olmsted County study provides several valuable insights into survival after TBI including:

• Mild TBI: The risk ratio (RR) for long-term mortality compared to the general population was 1.33, or in other words only a slight increase in risk.
• Moderate to Severe TBI: The risk ratio was much higher at 5.29 within the first six months. However, beyond six months, the mortality risk leveled out, becoming similar to that of mild TBI cases.

Adjusted Hazard Ratios

• Within six months of injury, the adjusted hazard ratio for all-cause mortality was 5.18 for moderate to severe TBI cases compared to mild cases.
• After six months, the hazard ratio dropped to 1.04, indicating that long-term survivors of moderate to severe TBI face risks comparable to those with mild TBI.

These statistics underscore the critical importance of early medical intervention and consistent follow-up care. In addition, they should provide reassurance and hope to brain injury survivors as they continue to progress following an injury.

Common Causes of Mortality After Brain Injury

Immediate Causes

• Brain swelling and hemorrhage: These are often fatal if not treated promptly.
• Infections: Conditions like meningitis or sepsis can occur due to open head injuries or prolonged hospitalization.
• Seizures: Severe TBIs can lead to fatal seizure episodes, particularly in the first weeks or months.

Long-Term Causes

• Respiratory complications: Reduced mobility and neurological impairment can increase the risk of pneumonia or chronic respiratory issues.
• Cardiovascular disease: Limited activity and stress on the body following TBI can heighten the risk of heart disease.
• Mental health challenges: Depression, social isolation, and substance abuse contribute to higher suicide rates among TBI survivors.

Improving Quality of Life and Longevity After TBI

1. Access to Comprehensive Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is a cornerstone of recovery for TBI survivors. Physical therapy can help improve mobility and strength, while occupational therapy focuses on regaining daily life skills. Speech therapy may be necessary for those with communication or cognitive challenges.

2. Mental Health Support

Counseling and therapy can address depression, anxiety, and PTSD, which are common after TBI. Support groups and peer networks can also provide emotional encouragement. Having a good support system can be invaluable as survivors go through recovery and continue to progress.

3. Lifestyle Adjustments

Adopting a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of secondary complications:

• Regular exercise: Tailored physical activity promotes cardiovascular health and improves mood.
• Balanced diet: Nutritional support aids brain recovery and overall health.
• Avoiding alcohol, smoking and drugs: Substance use can exacerbate TBI-related issues and reduce life expectancy.

Simple changes can have an outsized impact when it comes to these 3 modifications.

4. Monitoring and Preventative Care

Regular check-ups with healthcare providers can help identify and address potential complications early. These visits may include imaging tests, cognitive assessments, and discussions about managing chronic conditions. In addition, consistent rehabilitation through in person therapy or at home therapy can make a major impact on long term recovery.

Final Thoughts on Life After TBI

Living with a traumatic brain injury presents challenges, but understanding the factors that influence life expectancy and quality of life can empower survivors and their families to take proactive steps. While mild TBI generally has a minimal impact on long-term survival, moderate to severe cases require comprehensive care and early intervention to mitigate risks.

Every individual’s journey after TBI is unique, and outcomes depend on a variety of factors, including the severity of the injury, access to care, and personal resilience. By focusing on rehabilitation, mental health, and a healthy lifestyle, survivors can improve both their life expectancy and their quality of life.

The post How Long To Live After Traumatic Brain Injury – Survival Statistics and Tips to Improve Longevity After TBI appeared first on Flint Rehab.

While many symptoms of TBI and autism overlap, there is currently no evidence to suggest that a brain injury causes an increased risk of autism. However, because the two conditions affect brain functioning, some of the interventions used to manage autism may also be helpful for TBI patients.

This article discusses the similarities and differences between TBI and Autism and how treatments for autism can help TBI patients increase their social functioning.

What is Autism?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects how a person perceives and communicates with others. There is a wide range of symptoms and severity within the spectrum, and the disorder now includes conditions that used to be considered separate, such as Asperger’s syndrome.

Asperger’s syndrome is generally thought to be at the mild end of the spectrum. Most children with ASD show symptoms within the first year, though some do not develop problems until about the age of 2.

Some of the early signs of autism include:

• Does not respond to their name and seems to not hear you.
• Abnormal body posturing or facial expressions.
• Resists cuddling and seems to prefer playing alone.
• Has poor eye contact and lacks facial expressions.
• Doesn’t speak or has delayed speech.
• Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm.

Many on the spectrum have a heightened sensitivity to stimulation but a dulled sense of pain. Therefore, they may perform behaviors that cause self-harm, such as biting or head-banging.

There is no single, identifiable cause of autism spectrum disorder, although genetics seem to play a major role. No reliable studies have shown a link between vaccines and autism.

Although there is no cure for autism, early intervention can help many people on the spectrum live happy, productive lives.  

Can Brain Injury Cause Autism in Adults?

Autism (ASD), by definition, is a developmental condition, which means it is present from birth. Therefore, a brain injury does not cause autism in adulthood. To be diagnosed with autism, a child would have to miss certain common milestones, such as:

• Smiling by around 6 months.
• Mimicking sounds and facial expressions by 9 months.
• Babbling and cooing by 12 months.

Other early signs include unusual reactions to sounds, smells, and lights.

However, while brain injury does not cause ASD itself, the two do share similar attributes. For example, both populations experience gastrointestinal problems, learning difficulties, seizures, and sensory processing disruption. Research is beginning to reveal a relationship between gut microflora and healthy brain functioning. TBI and Autism both affect the “brain-gut-microbiome axis.”

TBI appears to cause changes in the abundance of bacteria in the gut as well as altered concentrations of specific metabolites. The altered gut-brain axis in TBI and Autism may explain why there are similarities between people with brain injury and those with ASD.

Similarities Between TBI and Autism

TBI and Autism share many of the same characteristics. They both cause deficits in social judgments and communication skills and problems regulating behavior. Other similarities between brain injury and autism include:

• Anxiety
• Balance and coordination problems
• Reduced muscle strength
• Impaired executive function
• Seizures
• Language disorders
• Attention problems
• Difficulty interpreting body language
• Sensory processing disorders

There are also several differences between TBI and autism. For example, a frontal lobe injury often disrupts empathy and increases self-centered behavior. However, contrary to popular stereotypes, most people with autism do not lack empathy. They simply struggle to express or interpret social norms.   

Because the root causes for autism and brain injury are decreased neurological functioning, the interventions used to treat autism can be helpful for brain injury patients as well, and vice versa.

Treatments for Autism and Brain Injury

There are many treatments aimed at minimizing the effects of autism that can help people with TBI improve their social skills and behavior. The following are a few of the best therapies used to treat both TBI and autism:

Applied Behavioral Analysis

Applied behavioral analysis is a popular intervention for ASD. It’s also been used successfully with brain injury patients with similar issues. ABA involves breaking down skills into component parts and helping patients learn them through repetition and reinforcement. It also teaches patients how to avoid unwanted behavior such as emotional outbursts.

Although children with ASD may learn and respond to ABA training, further research is needed to conclude whether it is the best practice for the developing brain which depends on a variety of stimuli to develop completely. This therapy is best suited for patients with severe cognitive disabilities or for young children.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

This therapy is best suited for TBI survivors or people with autism who don’t have severe cognitive difficulties, but who still have trouble controlling their emotions and behavior. The goal of cognitive-behavioral therapy is to help a person understand their actions and find out what triggers them.

For example, if the person tends to focus on negative thoughts and emotions, and this leads them to get easily upset, becoming aware of this helps the person control their behavior. Or maybe it’s something as simple as hunger that triggers anger or other socially inappropriate behavior. Then the person can practice managing the trigger differently.

Cognitive-Behavioral therapy helps the patient identify their triggers, and learn ways to either avoid a trigger or cope with it healthily. With practice and reinforcement, the brain can adapt to help the person manage better.

Insight-Oriented Psychotherapy

Insight-oriented psychotherapy (IOP) is similar to CBT, but instead of focusing on triggers it focuses on negative beliefs. The beliefs IOP addresses aren’t necessarily conscious, but they shape how an individual with a TBI may see the world. As a result, they affect behavior.

For example, a therapist might help a patient discover that they believe people don’t like them because of their brain injury, which makes them more hostile to others. Once the person discovers these beliefs, the therapist will teach them ways to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

Combining insight therapy with behavioral therapy is often the most effective approach.

Relationship Development Intervention

This therapy focuses on helping patients establish meaningful relationships, something both autism patients and TBI survivors need. It is not uncommon for TBI and Autism to lead to social isolation and inactivity which can have negative long-term consequences for both groups.

One of the skills this therapy focuses on is motivation to engage with others. The therapist works on building up the skills necessary to accomplish this such as sustained eye contact and back-and-forth communication. It is common for parents, family members, and caregivers to take part in this therapy as well. In general, social rehabilitation after TBI can facilitate healthier outcomes for TBI.

TBI and Autism: Key Points

Autism and brain injury share many similar symptoms. Both can impair social behavior and communication, and both lead to emotional outbursts or destructive behaviors.

Because TBI and Autism are neurological malfunctions of the brain, the interventions used for one may also benefit the other. Therefore, TBI patients, especially those with executive dysfunctions, might consider trying therapies that have been traditionally used for autism, such as behavioral therapies and social rehabilitation programs.

We hope this article has helped you learn more about the relationship between TBI and Autism.  

The post TBI and Autism: Is There a Link? (Understanding Similarities and Treatment) appeared first on Flint Rehab.

This article will address how diabetes can affect brain injury treatment and vice versa.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose, the primary energy source for the body and brain.

There are two forms of diabetes mellitus that a person can develop:

• Type 1 Diabetes. The pancreas produces little to no insulin. Insulin is what allows the cells to use glucose as energy. Glucose cannot enter the cells on its own, it must use insulin as a sort of key to enter the cells.
• Type 2 Diabetes (adult-onset). With this type of diabetes, the pancreas makes insulin. Unfortunately, it does not make enough, or the insulin does not work correctly. This type is also known as insulin resistance. 90% of people with diabetes have type 2.

The cause of diabetes is still unknown. However, there are risk factors that can increase a person’s chances of developing it, such as:

• Family history
• Physical stress
• Being overweight
• Injury to the pancreas, such as infection
• Autoimmune disease

Contrary to popular belief, sugar itself does not cause diabetes. Eating a lot of sugar can cause other problems, but not diabetes. However, once someone has been diagnosed with diabetes, it is recommended to monitor their sugar intake.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Symptoms of diabetes mellitus include:

• Increased thirst
• Dry mouth
• Frequent urination
• Severe fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Numbness or tingling in hands or feet
• Slow-healing cuts

The Link Between Diabetes and Brain Injury

Brain injury can cause neuroendocrine dysfunction which can impact glucose regulation among many other things. This can lead to weight gain and possibly Diabetes Type 2 over time. Continued research is required to clarify the mechanism for developing Diabetes after Brain injury, but there does appear to be a link over time.

A brain injury can exacerbate symptoms of diabetes as well. After a brain injury, the body releases stress hormones to help fight off infections and other problems. These hormones make the body less sensitive to insulin which can cause blood sugar levels to rise. If the levels go up too high, the patient can become hyperglycemic.

Hyperglycemia is a fairly common systemic complication with TBI. The severity of Hyperglycemia correlates with the severity of the brain injury.  Hyperglycemia can cause cognitive deterioration, and if not treated quickly, can lead to poor outcomes. This may be one reason remote glucose monitoring can be helpful for TBI patients. More about that below.

On the flip side, Diabetes itself can cause brain damage if insulin is not given promptly. Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) over time damages blood vessels in the brain which can lead to brain cell death causing memory problems.

An overabundance of Insulin can lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This occurs when your blood sugar levels drop below 70mg/dL. Symptoms of low blood sugar may include dizziness, shaking, irritability, fainting, or even a diabetic coma, which causes life-threatening brain damage if left untreated. Extremely low blood sugar can cause a diabetic seizure, which can also result in brain damage.

Treating Diabetes After Brain Injury

The main goal of diabetes treatment is to keep glucose levels (blood sugar) under control to avoid complications referred to above. You can do this through a combination of lifestyle changes and insulin injections.

All diabetics must monitor their blood sugar regularly to make sure it doesn’t get too high or low. Type 1 diabetics will also need regular injections of insulin because their pancreas does not produce any naturally.

Type 2 diabetes patients can usually manage their condition by avoiding sugary foods and exercising. Exercise burns up spare glucose and helps keep blood sugar levels stable. However, patients may still need insulin injections occasionally.

Brain injury can make diabetes treatment more complicated. Factors such as impaired memory mean it can be easy to forget to monitor glucose levels and administer insulin.

The good news is new adaptive techniques can help you manage your diabetes independently after a brain injury.

For example, you can use alarms to help remind you when to take insulin. There are also continual glucose monitors that can alert family members if your blood sugar gets too high or low. And there are insulin pumps that read your glucose levels and automatically administer insulin when necessary.

In fact, remote patient monitoring is a convenient development in healthcare that addresses more than one aspect of your healthcare needs. These developments include remote glucometers and other connected health devices that take your daily blood glucose, blood pressure, and other vital signs and automatically transferred the data to your physician for review. All this leads to a healthier you after TBI.

Understanding Brain Injury and Diabetes

Diabetes and brain injury, when they occur together, create a unique set of problems and needs. The cognitive effects of brain injury can make it more difficult to stay vigilant about glucose levels and insulin dosage. Diabetes can worsen brain damage symptoms by causing fatigue and other problems. If blood sugar gets too high, further brain damage can occur.

Fortunately, with advancements made in diabetes treatment, it is much easier to minimize the harm diabetes can cause to brain injury patients. Using a remote glucose monitoring system can help you avoid dangerous events like diabetic comas or seizures.

Talk to your endocrinologist for more advice and a complete list of equipment that can help you manage both your diabetes and brain injury effectively.

Featured Image: iStock/simpson33

The post Diabetes and Brain Injury: Is There a Connection? appeared first on Flint Rehab.

Using essential oils can soothe discomfort and boost brain function without the negative side effects of heavy medication. There are many different brands and types of essential oils, each with unique characteristics. The purpose of this article is to help individuals learn about some of the best essential oils for brain injury, and what to consider when starting out.

Use the links below to jump directly to any section of this article:

• Lavender: the most studied essential oil
• Essential oils to boost neuroplasticity
• Cognitive benefits of essential oils
• Essential oils to promote mental health
• Choosing the best essential oils for brain injury

Essential Oils for Brain Injury

Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants that capture a plant’s scent or “essence.” They are most commonly used in aromatherapy, in which individuals inhale the scent through a diffuser. Although many essential oils can also be applied directly on the skin, they typically should be diluted with another carrier oil before application.

There are two main ways that essential oils can reach the brain: by circulating through the blood and/or by being transmitted through the nerves to the emotion control center of the brain, known as the limbic system. These pathways allow essential oils to have various effects on brain activity, many of which can support recovery.

With the wide range of essential oils available, it can be hard to know which oils may be best for brain injury recovery. As with most other treatments, the best essential oils for brain injury vary based on the individual and which symptoms they’re looking to address.

To provide a starting point, the following list includes a few of the most recommended essential oils for brain injury. Consultation with an aromatherapist or other professional focused on natural healing may also be helpful to provide more personalized recommendations. Talking with one’s medical team about any potential risks is also advised before beginning to use essential oils.

Lavender: The Most Studied Essential Oil

While research on essential oils and their potential uses is growing, there is limited research specifically focused on essential oils for brain injury. Possibly because of its wide range of benefits, lavender oil has been identified as the most studied essential oil, appearing in approximately 30% of studies regarding the effects of essential oils on the nervous system.

Benefits of lavender oil include its ability to:

• Improve sleep quality
• Promote autonomic nervous system regulation by reducing heart rate and blood pressure
• Reduce anxiety and depression
• Elevate mood
• Relieve pain, especially for headaches and muscle soreness
• Reduce stress and promote calmness
• Improve immune system functions

In addition to the above benefits, lavender oil has also been shown to improve activities of daily living skills as well as quality of life in those with certain mental health conditions. With so many benefits, it is not difficult to see why lavender oil is amongst the most widely used essential oil.

Because of its potential to effect blood pressure, it is important for brain injury survivors to talk with their doctor before using lavender oil. However, even if lavender oil is not recommended, there are many other essential oils that can also be used to promote recovery.

Essential Oils that Can Boost Neuroplasticity

The process of neuroplasticity is essential for recovering after a brain injury. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adaptively rewire itself. This involves creating and strengthening frequently used neural pathways, allowing healthy areas of the brain to take over functions previously housed in affected areas.

Some essential oils can support this process, including:

• Black Cumin Seed Oil: In animal studies, black cumin seed essential oil has been shown to promote neuroplasticity and increase levels of BDNF, a protein involved in regulating neuronal connections. It also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, making it an excellent option for brain injury survivors.
• Rosemary Oil: Research has shown that rosemary essential oil has many benefits, particularly for enhancing cognition. In addition to boosting memory, rosemary oil may also promote BDNF production, thus boosting neuroplasticity.

Especially when combined with conventional therapy, these essential oils can promote enhanced improvements. Neuroplasticity is activated through massed practice. Therefore, it is also important to consistently practice affected skills in order to optimize neuroplasticity and recovery.

Essential Oils to Enhance Cognition

Cognitive skills, such as attention, memory, and organization, are often affected after a traumatic brain injury. Adding essential oils can help improve these functions, especially when used in conjunction with cognitive rehabilitation. Essential oils that may boost cognition include:

• Sage Oil: This essential oil has been found to improve cognitive functions like memory and attention. In particular, sage oil has been shown to improve word recall, making it ideal for brain injury survivors struggling with aphasia. In addition, sage oil can be used to help with mood regulation and to combat depression and anxiety.
• Peppermint Oil: Due to its ability to reduce cognitive fatigue and enhance learning and memory, using peppermint oil can be an excellent way to improve cognitive functions. Since the main ingredient in peppermint oil, menthol, can have analgesic (pain-reducing) effects, it can also be used to relieve muscle pain and headaches.

As mentioned above, rosemary essential oil is also frequently used for improving cognition. In fact, sometimes a combination of these oils (such as using rosemary and peppermint together) is used to enhance results.

Essential Oils to Address Mental Health

Depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions are common after a traumatic brain injury. Furthermore, coping with the secondary effects of brain injury may cause excess stress.

Some essential oils for brain injury can help regulate mood and improve wellbeing, including:

• Black Pepper Oil: In addition to its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant effects, black pepper oil can help relieve symptoms of depression and stress. Furthermore, one of its main components, piperine, may also help boost cognitive functions.
• Chamomile Oil: Use of chamomile essential oil has been demonstrated to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. For individuals with post-traumatic insomnia, chamomile oil may also help improve sleep quality.

This is by no means an all-inclusive list of essential oils that may be beneficial for brain injury survivors. In fact, given the many essential oils available and the wide range of potential brain injury symptoms, it would be nearly impossible to compile such a list.

Rather, considering the benefits of the oils described above can open the door to learning more about essential oils for brain injury recovery. Most essential oils have multiple benefits, and using essential oils in combination can further enhance these benefits.

However, before embarking into the world of natural healing and essential oils, it is recommended to talk with someone more familiar with essential oils and their potential benefits and drawbacks. Although there are limited side effects, especially when using essential oils for aromatherapy, it is always better to consult with someone more knowledgeable, preferably an individual in the medical field.

Choosing the Right Essential Oils for Brain Injury

For the most part, essential oils are harmless when inhaled. However, it is still possible to have an adverse reaction, which could include rashes, headaches, and asthma attacks. Therefore, it is a good idea to consult with a doctor before using essential oils to help with brain injury symptoms.

When combined with a base oil, essential oils can also be placed directly on the skin. Furthermore, some essential oils may also be swallowed. However, swallowing essential oils can be dangerous, and even fatal in some doses. With this in mind, the safest option is to use a diffuser after gaining a doctor’s approval.

When shopping for essential oils, keep in mind that the quality of the oils often varies. This is because the FDA does not regulate essential oils. As a result, companies can use different standards, which is not always in the best interest of the consumer.

To find high-quality essential oils, look for the following:

• Purity. Some companies will add other substances to their oils, making them cheaper but less effective. It is more likely that the oil is pure if the label lists the plant’s scientific name.
• Quality. Choose an oil extracted through distillation or mechanical cold pressing. Other extraction processes can change the oils and make them less potent.
• Reputation. Do a little research on a company to see if they are known for making high-quality, pure oils.

These three signs should help individuals find essential oils that will work effectively.

Aromatherapy for Brain Injury

While they should not replace traditional treatments, essential oils can help relieve many symptoms of brain injury. Of course, as with all alternative therapies, not everyone will see results.

Essential oils are not miracle cures, and participating in conventional therapies and medical treatments is still highly recommended for an optimal recovery. With this in mind, essential oils can offer a nice boost that can potentially make other therapies more effective.

Hopefully this article has shed some light on the many benefits of essential oils for brain injury recovery. As always, consulting with a doctor or other medical professional is strongly advised before starting an alternative treatment.

The post Exploring the Benefits of Essential Oils for Brain Injury Recovery appeared first on Flint Rehab.

This article will discuss the many advantages a TBI service dog can offer and why dogs can be great companions for brain injury survivors. Use the links below to jump directly to any section of this article:

• What is a service dog?
• Benefits of TBI service dogs
• Boosting recovery
• How to learn more about TBI service dogs

What is a Service Dog?

The term “service dog” refers to a dog that is individually trained to perform specific task(s) to assist a person with a disability. For example, TBI service dogs can help make living with the effects of brain injury much easier by:

• Assisting with balance and transfers
• Pressing buttons, opening doors, or retrieving items
• Providing guidance if vision is significantly impaired
• Reminding individuals to take their medications on time
• Alerting survivors of a potential upcoming medical crisis, such as a seizure or panic attack

Every traumatic brain injury is unique. This means the symptoms a person experiences will vary depending on a number of factors, such as the location and severity of their injury. TBI service dogs may be able to help survivors in a number of ways, depending on what secondary effects they may experience.

Service dogs may be able to help with physical, cognitive, sensory, and/or emotional challenges after brain injury. However, it is important to note that while service dogs may provide emotional support, dogs who serve in only this capacity are not considered service dogs. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, service dogs are generally allowed to go anywhere the general public may go, even if pets are not allowed.

Benefits of TBI Service Dogs

Service dogs are often trained through specially designed programs in order to learn the skills needed to assist their owners. The following are just a few of the ways a service dog can be trained to assist individuals after a brain injury.

Mobility Assistance Dogs

Service dogs may be able to assist TBI survivors with physical conditions that impair their mobility, such as hemiplegia, spasticity, or foot drop. In these cases, service dogs can:

• Provide balance support
• Assist with opening doors and cupboards
• Retrieve items
• Turn lights on or off
• Assist with transfers to a chair, bed, shower or toilet

In addition to helping with these tasks, TBI service dogs can also be trained to get help for their owners as needed. This can be a very important skill for owners who are at risk of falling.

Service Dogs for Memory Assistance

Memory problems after a brain injury may cause individuals to forget important tasks, like eating or taking medications. Memory assistance service dogs are trained to remind individuals of these essential daily activities through tasks such as bringing pillboxes to their owners.

In addition, brain injuries often cause people to get overwhelmed and confused, especially when out of the house. If a survivor gets lost and can’t think clearly, a service dog can guide them home safely. This can provide survivors and their families more peace of mind about the individual leaving the house and going out into the community.

Seizure Alert Dogs

Service dogs can also be beneficial for TBI survivors with epilepsy or other conditions that make people lose consciousness. Before a seizure occurs, the human body emits a distinct scent undetectable to humans. It is hypothesized that seizure alert dogs use that scent to detect when a seizure is likely to occur.

To alert their owner that a seizure is imminent, many seizure alert dogs display attention-getting behaviors, such as licking or standing next to their owner seconds to hours before the seizure occurs. This can allow the person time to take anti-seizure medication and get into a safe position to avoid injury.

Likewise, a service dog can help people with autonomic dysfunction, which can causes fainting spells, by warning them when an episode is about to occur. Having a service dog that can warn of a seizure or fainting spell can give TBI survivors the confidence they need to be active outside the house, improving their overall wellbeing.

Psychiatric Service Dogs

Brain injuries have been linked to a number of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Especially common among veterans, psychiatric service dogs can be trained to help individuals manage their mental health symptoms. This can include performing tasks such as:

• Alerting or redirecting their owner when negative symptoms, such as flashbacks, are likely to occur
• Providing deep pressure or other tactile stimulation to help their owner calm down in cases of sensory overload
• Retrieving medication when their owner would be unable to get it themselves, such as during a panic attack
• Providing a sense of security and protection

In addition to these skills, psychiatric service dogs can reduce stress, boost emotional wellbeing, and relieve feelings of isolation. Therefore, having a service dog can greatly ease psychiatric symptoms and promote engagement in daily life.

Boosting Recovery with a TBI Service Dog

Having a service dog can also encourage brain injury recovery. Service dogs can provide companionship and give their owners a sense of purpose. Caring for a service dog can boost activity levels, which can encourage a fuller recovery.

Tasks such as feeding and brushing service dogs can improve fine motor skills. Furthermore, owners may feel motivated to routinely take their service dogs out on a walk, which can enhance both physical and mental health.

Although not their primary objective, service dogs can also offer emotional support. Even simply petting a dog for just a few minutes increases the production of the hormone oxytocin, which reduces stress and promotes positive emotions.

Studies have shown that having a service dog can greatly improve psychosocial health, including better social, emotional, and work/school functioning. It has also been found that service dogs can reduce the mental burden associated with daily activities, and instead promote wellbeing.

To further demonstrate these benefits, a 2023 study summarizing the results of a survey completed by over 200 service dog owners found that:

• 96% reported benefits of their emotional connection with their dog
• 97% believed their community participation improved
• 96% reported greater physical activity levels
• 98% experienced improved psychological wellbeing
• 97% reported better quality of life
• 78% were able to reduce prescription medication use
• 83% reported their need for paid or unpaid assistance decreased

These benefits can be extremely impactful, not only for an individual’s daily life, but also for their recovery outcomes. Therefore, having a TBI service dog can be a great way for individuals to improve their quality of life while also promoting recovery.

How to Learn More about Service Dogs for Traumatic Brain Injury

There are so many positive effects a service dog have on TBI survivors. The benefits listed in this article are only a few of all the ways a dog could help survivors transform their recovery and adjust to new life circumstances.

Many individuals may be interested in getting a TBI service dog but don’t know where to start. Assistance Dogs International, Inc. specializes in helping individuals find training facilities and connecting assistance dogs with their owners. Check out their website to learn more about nearby training locations and how to start the process of looking for a TBI service dog.

The post Transform Your Recovery with a TBI Service Dog appeared first on Flint Rehab.

The Need for Mindfulness After Brain Injury

Mindfulness is the practice of staying present in the moment. This means keeping your attention on what is happening right now and not on the future or the past.

While this may sound simple, most of us let our minds drift. During any given moment, we are thinking of our families, our bills, what we’ll have for lunch, and what plans we want to make for the future.

For individuals recovering from a brain injury, there are often even more pressing matters on their minds. For example, they may have regret over lost abilities and worries about how their injury may impact their future.

Besides that, patients can experience increased sensitivity to external stimuli such as sounds, lights, and touch after a brain injury. Coupled with a limited attention span, this can easily lead to sensory overload.

These anxious thoughts and emotions  puts stress on the brain which, for TBI survivors, can have negative consequences.  Research shows that repeated stress after a brain injury can cause “memory impairment, neuronal and glial cell loss, and inflammation.”

In summary, stress can cause actual physical changes in the body that are counterproductive to your recovery. Therefore, finding ways to reduce stress is critical during brain injury recovery. That’s where mindfulness and meditation can play an important role

Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation for the Brain

Mindfulness offers many benefits to brain injury survivors and has been backed by science. These benefits include:

• Improved attention and concentration
• Reduced depression and fatigue
• Improved mental flexibility

Meditation can also grow the gray matter areas of the brain responsible for memory and emotional regulation. This makes your brain more efficient at those skills.

In addition, many brain injury survivors struggle with over-selectivity or “tunnel vision.” This describes when a person becomes hyper-focused on one item or activity to the exclusion of everything else. For example, they might be too focused on walking to pay attention to their surroundings.

Mindfulness helps rewire the brain and trains patients to improve their overall awareness. This enhances your attention skills.

As you can see, mindfulness can help you overcome some of the most difficult effects of brain injury. That’s why many therapists recommend adding it to your daily routine.

How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation After Brain Injury

The basic principle of mindfulness is staying mentally present. While it may not be possible for you to do this all the time, try to spend at least five minutes a day practicing it. Even just a few minutes is enough to reap the benefits.

With enough practice, your brain will retrain itself to absorb more relevant information and tune out unnecessary distractions. The following are a few quick ways to practice mindfulness after brain injury:

1. Focus on Your Breath

To stay mentally present, it helps to have a point of focus that pulls your attention to your body. For most people, this point of focus is their breath.

When your mind focuses on your breath, it’s much harder for thoughts and worries to break through. This gives you a chance to step back and observe what you feel with a clear mind.

To focus on your breath, close your eyes and slowly inhale for a count of 4-8 and then exhale for a similar length of time. Imagine the air entering through your nose, filling your lungs, and expanding your chest. Then, as you exhale, picture the air flowing out the same way. Once you’ve done this a few times, you can begin expanding your awareness to take note of the sensations you feel. What sounds do you hear? What is the temperature of the room? How do your feet feel on the ground? What emotions do you feel?

Try to keep yourself present like this for at least five minutes. Set an alarm on your phone to allow yourself to relax without worrying about the time.

Cultivating awareness of the body is another technique that will assist you during brain injury recovery. You can do this through body scanning.

2. Body Scanning

Cultivating awareness of the body is another technique that will assist you during mindfulness after brain injury. You can do this through body scanning.

Body scanning helps you identify areas of tension by focusing on those areas. To perform a mindful body scan, simply focus on each body part for a few seconds.

Start with the top of your scalp, identify any tension or pain that might be there. Then work your way down to your toes.

Sometimes it helps to imagine a warm stream of water pouring over the top of your head. Picture the water flowing down the rest of your body until it finally reaches your feet.

Use this body scanning technique to stay focused on the movements you practice during therapy. This imagery helps boost neuroplasticity and may make those exercises more effective.

The goal of body scanning is to help you break free from repetitive thoughts and develop more awareness of your body.

3. Noting

Noting is a technique that is hard to learn at first. But it is crucial to help you break the vicious cycle of anxiety. It involves changing the way we react to our thoughts.

Our tendency is to believe that all our thoughts are true reflections of reality. For example, if we feel scared, we believe that means there must be danger nearby, so we react accordingly.

The problem is, after a brain injury, our minds can trick us more easily. The thoughts and emotions of the injured brain may not be as accurate as before the injury. Therefore, even simple activities like taking a walk can make you feel anxious.

The practice of noting your thoughts allows you to stop yourself from reacting before those thoughts draw you into a vortex of negativity. All you have to do is identify or “note” a thought when you sense it.

For example, if you have a sad thought, don’t dwell on it. Simply note the feeling, then let it go. You can even try writing down what you feel in a journal.

The key is not to identify with your thoughts or emotions. Rather, treat them as something external that you can observe and then choose to believe or not.

TBI and Mindfulness

Cultivating mindfulness after brain injury can give survivors a healthy boost to their cognitive recovery.

If you need help practicing mindfulness, there are several apps available that can help guide you through meditation.

Cognitive-behavioral therapists are a great resource. They can teach you more about noting thoughts and how to avoid reacting to every emotion.

Mindfulness can be difficult at first because it sometimes involves breaking deep-seated habits. But it is possible to retrain yourself to be in control over how you react to the world.

The post How Cultivating Mindfulness After Brain Injury Can Enhance Your Recovery appeared first on Flint Rehab.

Although it is rare for a head injury to cause Parkinson’s Disease, it is a possible secondary effect you should be aware of. Head injuries can also trigger certain movement disorders that look similar to Parkinson’s Disease but are different.

This article explains the link between brain injury and Parkinson’s Disease. In addition, we’ll describe the latest treatments for Parkinson’s Disease and other motor problems after a head injury.

Causes of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a disorder of the central nervous system that interrupts the fluidity of movement. With PD, certain neurons in the area of the brain called the substantia nigra break down and die. These neurons produce the chemical dopamine.

Dopamine acts as a messenger between the parts of the brain and nervous system that coordinate movement. Therefore, when dopamine levels decrease in the brain, abnormal and slowed movements result.

The symptoms of PD only appear when 80% of the neurons in the substantia nigra have died. PD is considered to be a slow progressive disease. The precise cause of PD is still unknown; however, it is most likely due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. This is why the question arises, can head injury cause Parkinson’s Disease.

Does Head Injury Lead to Parkinson’s Disease?

According to a study published in the Journal Neurology, a head injury, specifically a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), is associated with increased risk of PD. The study was conducted using the VA’s databases and identified all patients treated by the VA with TBI. The results found that:

• Patients with mild TBI and brief loss of consciousness had a 56% increased risk of developing PD compared to patients without any history of head injury.
• Patients with severe TBI were at an 80% higher risk of PD compared to healthy subjects.
• A single mild TBI with no loss of consciousness did not lead to a significant risk increase for PD.

Although head injury does increase a person’s risk of PD, it should be noted that the likelihood of developing the disease is still relatively low. In fact, in the study, only about 1% of patients were diagnosed with PD.

What is more likely, however, is that a person might develop a form of Parkinsonism.

Difference Between Parkinson’s Disease and Parkinsonism

Parkinsonism is an umbrella term used to describe a group of movement disorders that share similar symptoms.

The signs of Parkinsonism include:

• Resting tremors
• Stiff muscles
• Slow or delayed movements
• Difficulty with balancing and walking

Parkinsonism can also cause people to perform uncontrolled, repetitive movements, known as “tics.”

PD is the most common type of Parkinsonism, but there are other types that have more specific causes, such as:

• Drug-induced Parkinsonism. This occurs when a person takes a medication that lowers dopamine levels. Symptoms usually disappear once the medicine is stopped.
• Vascular Parkinsonism. Stroke can cause the dopamine producing parts of the brain to die, leading to Parkinson-like symptoms.
• Post-traumatic Parkinsonism. Brain damage to the cerebellum or basal ganglia can also cause movement disorders that look a lot like Parkinson’s Disease.

Whether you have PD or some other form of Parkinsonism, treatment will mostly likely be identical.

Treating Parkinson’s Disease After Head Injury

There is currently no cure for PD. However, it is possible to treat the symptoms through physical therapy and medications.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy can help you improve muscle strength and control, which might help reduce tremors and dystonia, both common symptoms of Parkinsonism. PT exercises will activate the brain’s neuroplasticity, which rewires the brain and strengthens the neural signals sent to your muscles.

If these stronger signals can get to the muscles affected by tremors, it could reduce them. Therapists can also fit you with orthotic braces or weights, which may stop tremors by keeping the affected muscles stable. It is not a permanent fix, but it is sometimes enough to restore function.

Speech Therapy

Parkinson’s Disease is mainly known for causing hand tremors and slowed movement, but it can also impair speech. For example, tremors can affect a person’s vocal cords or other muscles in the throat, making it difficult to swallow or talk.

Fortunately, there are speech therapists who are trained in a technique called Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT), a therapy designed specifically for patients with PD. The LSVT is an intensive therapy involving 16 sessions in one month, but it can greatly improve a person’s quality of life.

To learn more about LSVT and find a qualified speech therapist, click here.

Medications

Medications for Parkinsonism are mostly focused on increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Some of the most common medications prescribed include:

• Carbidopa-levodopa. A naturally occurring chemical that converts into dopamine when it enters the brain.
• Dopamine agonists. These drugs release a chemical that mimics the effects of dopamine on the brain.
• Amantadine. This drug is an anti-viral that can improve muscle control and reduce stiffness.
• MAO–B inhibitors. Prevents dopamine from breaking down.

Many of these medications can have serious side effects, such as drowsiness, hallucinations, and compulsive behavior. Therefore, make sure to have close supervision from your doctor. Expect some trial and error before you determine your best dose

Deep Brain Stimulation

In some Parkinsonism cases, a doctor might recommend surgical interventions to treat tremors and other symptoms.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the most effective surgical treatment for tremors and dyskinesias. It uses surgically implanted electrodes to send high-frequency signals to the subthalamic nucleus or the globus pallidus,  structures in the brain that control movement timing.

The electrical signals are sent from a small device, similar to a pacemaker, that is placed under the skin in the person’s chest. When the signals reach the brain, they minimize tremors.

DBS is effective at minimizing tremors and has been approved by the FDA as a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease. While more studies are still needed before it is approved for post-traumatic Parkinsonism, the current research is promising.

However, deep brain stimulation is an invasive surgery, making it the riskiest treatment option. Some possible side effects include dysarthria (slurred speech) and a small number of people living with PD have experienced cognitive decline after DBS surgery. DBS is reserved for patients who do not respond well to the medications for tremors or those experiencing medication-induced dyskinesias.

Brain Injury and Parkinson’s Disease

Head injuries can increase a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s Disease and other forms of Parkinsonism. However, even with the increased risk, it is still a rare side effect of brain injury. Only about 1% of TBI patients will experience Parkinsonism.

If you do end up diagnosed with post-traumatic Parkinsonism, treatment will most likely involve a combination of physical therapy and medication.   

The post Can Head Injury Cause Parkinson’s Disease? Understanding the Link appeared first on Flint Rehab.

This can lead to isolation and a sense of failure, which can lead to depression. That’s why re-learning social skills after brain injury is so crucial during recovery. Not only does it ward off potential isolation, it also helps improve one’s overall quality of life.

Today you will learn about social skills and how brain injury can affect them; finally you will learn what steps you can take to recover them.

What are Social Communication Skills?

Communicating with others involves more than just speaking. It includes body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, and other actions that promote connection with another individual. To truly communicate, you must be able to share information with people in a way they can understand.

Effective communication skills require the use of several cognitive abilities, including:

• The ability to listen to and recall what the other person said
• Starting and ending conversations
• Taking turns speaking
• Managing your emotions
• Understanding non-literal language, such as humor
• Understanding social boundaries and expectations
• Awareness of the situation and the other person’s feelings
• Organizing your thoughts and sharing them in a way that makes sense

All of these skills comprise what psychologists call social pragmatics. After a brain injury, many of these abilities are lost or impaired, which makes socializing more difficult.

How Brain Injury Affects Social Skills

Damage to the frontal lobe can cause a lack of insight and awareness. This makes it more difficult for a person to monitor their behavior and understand how it comes across to others. This kind of impaired social skill after brain injury may manifest in a variety of ways.

One example is when the brain injured individual does not allow the other person much time to speak. This does not happen because they are selfish, but because they do not even realize how long they have been talking.

In addition, the orbitofrontal cortex helps regulate our impulses and prevents unwanted emotional outbursts. Therefore, if it becomes damaged, a person might say or do inappropriate things while speaking.  

Other effects of brain injury that can impair social skills include:

• Hearing loss, which can make it difficult to listen to others and pick up verbal cues.
• Attention problems, which impede a person’s ability to follow a conversation.
• Memory issues, which can make it hard to remember what the other person said.
• Lack of motivation, which can prevent a person from initiating activities, including conversations.

Mood swings and depression can also contribute to poor communication skills.

Signs of Poor Social Skills After TBI

Because brain injury often affects a person’s self-awareness, they may not realize how their social skills are impaired.

The following are some signs that a person struggles with social communication:

• They fixate on one topic and try to bring every conversation back to it.
• They give too little or too much information.
• Their responses might not make sense.
• They ramble or repeat themselves.
• They talk too fast or too slow.
• The other person has to ask a lot of questions to keep a conversation going.
• They struggle to read emotions.   

 Fortunately, it is possible to regain social skills after brain injury with the help of a therapist.

How to Improve Social Skills After Brain Injury

Social communication skills can be improved in most people, even after brain injury. As with all learning, improving your social competence will require consistent practice.

Speech therapists, occupational therapists, and neuropsychologists are the types of medical professionals who can help you relearn social skills. Group therapy for social communication skills provides opportunities to practice role-playing conversations in a safe environment.

If you don’t have access to any of these resources nearby, you can still improve your skills with a trusted friend or family member.

The following are a few helpful ways to boost your social confidence after brain injury.

1. Evaluate

The best way to improve social skills is to determine what you struggle with most.. Some questions to ask yourself include:

• Do I listen and let the other person talk?
• Do I show interest in the other person by asking them questions and staying focused?
• Do I get to the point? Or do I ramble on?
• Do I initiate conversations?
• Do I get too emotional or not show enough emotions?

Ask a person close to you how you do with these skills because they may notice things you are unaware of. If they observe problems, try not to get defensive. Remember that problems with social skills after brain injury are not uncommon. You can improve, but you need to know where your weak spots are.

2. Set a goal

Pick one skill that you most want to improve and work on that one first. By focusing on one skill, you do not overwhelm yourself in the process as these changes take some effort to implement.

For example, you could set a goal to ask more questions during conversations. Have your family members teach you how to ask questions and practice with you.

Just remember to start small and slowly work your way up. The more manageable you make your goals, the more likely you are to achieve them. With success you are more likely to continue to improve.

3. Practice

Practice your skills in places where you have a chance to interact with people, such as at your doctor’s office or during recreational therapy. You can even try some volunteer work, which often provides good opportunities for conversations.

To start a conversation, especially with someone new, here are a few tips:

• Talk about things around you, such as the weather or the person’s dog/pets.
• Ask open-ended questions, such as “what did you do over the weekend?”
• Take turns talking and listening.
• Pay attention to your body language. Make sure to smile and nod.

If your friend or family member is there to observe you making conversation with a stranger, ask them for honest feedback on how you did and where they think you still need to improve.  

Social Communication and Brain Injury

Social communication skills are critical for improving your quality of life after brain injury. Not only can they help you form and maintain relationships, but they can also help you succeed at work, school, and every other area of your life.

While brain injury can make connecting with others more difficult, with enough practice and persistence, it is still possible to improve your social skills after brain injury.

Just remember to be patient with yourself, and to take things one step at a time.

The post Social Skills After Brain Injury: Understanding Changes and How to Improve appeared first on Flint Rehab.