Nervous System and Parts of the Brain

Read an excellent article on the nervous system and the brain. This detailed explanation, along with diagrams, provides information on the central nervous system, parts of the brain and their functions, functions of the spinal cord, and signs and symptoms of nervous system disorders.

Neuroplasticity: How the brain is capable of change

Vision problems can be caused by an injury to the brain. This injury can be created by a stroke, a Traumatic Brain Injury, and forms of Acquired Brain Injury such as an aneurysm, brain tumor, brain bleed, anoxia, etc.

Each of these types of brain injury can disrupt the visual process. “Visual problems are often overlooked during the initial treatment of an injury. Not addressing these problems can lengthen and impair rehabilitation. The most important source of sensory information is vision. The visual process involves the flow of information to the brain and the processing of information in the brain,” per the Roswell Eye Clinic.

Read the following article for more information on vision problems created by a brain injury and treatments: “How a Stroke and Brain Injury Can Affect a Survivor’s Vision”.

Scientists have historically believed that once a person reaches adulthood, their cognitive abilities are immutable. But beginning in the early twentieth century, that theory has been contested by evidence suggesting that the brain’s abilities are in fact malleable and plastic. According to this principle of neuroplasticity, the brain is constantly changing in response to various experiences. New behaviors, new learning, and even environmental changes or physical injuries may all stimulate the brain to create new neural pathways or reorganize existing ones, fundamentally altering how information is processed.

Read more at Positive Psychology!

Play Sports? Take Note!

Prevention

Family Safety & Legal Tips

This is a public service website of Montlick & Associates. Provides important safety information to help you and your family prevent all types of injuries, including head injuries.

Help Keep Kids Safe®

Did you know that preventable injuries are the leading threat to a child’s health? This website has tons of information to help you become more knowledgeable about safety and prevent injuries to children.

Returning to School

Source: Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Magazine by Walter Kilcullen: September 2022 Volume 4, Issue 5

Returning to School after a TBI

By Paul Wehman, PhD, & Pam Targett MED.
From the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Parental involvement is critical when a young person is returning to school after a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

How does TBI affect students

• The effects of TBI vary greatly from student to student.
• Grades may drop or more work may be required to keep grades up.
• Sometimes the effects of a brain injury are not obvious at first. The effects may become more noticeable later when thinking and social activities increase at school.
• The student may require academic and emotional supports after the injury.

Some examples of changes that may occur after a person has sustained a TBI are:

Physical changes

Cognitive (thinking) changes

Emotional changes

Behavioral changes

Planning to return to school

Much of the frustration and confusion related to returning to school can be avoided with proper planning. School personnel should be contacted as soon as possible after the injury to plan for the student’s return to school. School systems are required to provide an individualized education program (IEP), as applicable, to help ensure a student’s academic and social success. The family, rehabilitation team, and school staff must work together and share information. This step is critical as evaluation data are used to prepare a student’s IEP. Some states have a brain injury educational consultant who can help local educators assess and provide services to students with brain injuries. Specific laws require schools to provide services for students with disabilities:

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) 2004: Helps ensure that students with disabilities receive a free appropriate education that is designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for employment and independent living.
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act: Some students who are not protected under IDEA are eligible for other supports under Section 504.
• Americans with Disabilities Act: Provides accessibility, nondiscrimination and greater access to workplaces, public transportation, and telecommunications.

How can schools support students with TBI?

It is important to obtain information about the student’s pre-injury cognitive abilities. A neuropsychologist and other rehabilitation professionals can evaluate the student’s current strengths and abilities, and recommend support resources both in and out of the classroom.

Often a neuropsychological evaluation is used to answer questions such as:

• Can the student do the work needed to advance to the next grade or to participate in specific activities/classes?
• What are the student’s cognitive strengths?
• What are the student’s social skills?
• What are the student’s physical abilities, such as strength, balance and endurance?
• What are some of the problems the student may face, and what should educators look for?
• What classroom strategies can be used to help the student with attention, concentration, and learning?

What are possible classroom placement options?

There are four types of classroom placements:

1. Classroom with Access to General Curriculum: The student will be in a regular classroom with typical peers. In addition to the teacher, a special education teacher will be available to adjust the curriculum to the student’s abilities. The special educator builds supports for the student’s success.
2. Resource Room: In a Resource Room, a special-education teacher works with a small group of students. Resource Room placements have the benefit of providing help where needed while letting the student remain in regular classes most of the time.
3. Self-Contained Class: Placement in a self-contained classroom means the student is taught in a small controlled setting with a special education teacher. However, the field does not promote this option because it removes the student from typical peers during the Core Curriculum.
4. Out-of-District Placement: Out-of-district placement requires the student to attend a school specifically designed to address special learning or behavioral needs. The advantage is the high degree of specialized instruction. The disadvantage is the student does not attend the neighborhood school and misses peer interactions.

The following questions may help parents and school staff make the important decision about placement:

• What type of setting is likely to be the most conducive to learning?
• What are the disadvantages of not remaining in the regular classroom?
• What structure is needed?
• What specialized instructional techniques or technology are needed to enhance learning? How will these be provided without stigmatizing the student?
• Does the student need to focus on functional skills to enhance independent living and employment?
• Have the student’s transition assessments revealed that the student would benefit from learning community living or employment skills in a setting outside of the classroom?
• Does the student plan to attend college?

Once the student is placed it is important to monitor his or her progress so changes can be made as needed. A transition specialist might assist as the student moves from grade to grade, middle to high school and from there to adult life.

Challenging classroom behavior

Several common triggers can cause or contribute to negative behaviors in students with TBI:

• Students with TBI can become overstimulated easily.
• Students with TBI may respond negatively to an unexpected event or a lack of clear structure.
• Physical and cognitive activities at school may overwhelm the student to the point of an emotional outburst.
• Negative feedback and lack of support from teachers and students can contribute to emotional and behavioral problems.

Ways educators can address challenging behavior

• Avoid labeling the student.
• Talk to the student to find out what is contributing to the student’s behavioral flare-ups. Is it emotional, physical, cognitive, and/or social?
• Evaluate the student’s environment to determine what events may trigger behavioral problems. Also observe how the student interprets these events.
• Provide a safe setting for the student to calm down (i.e., guidance office, resource room).

School behavior that is counterproductive follows a pattern. The educator’s task is to detect and understand this pattern through classroom observations and discussions with the student, family, and other teachers.

Disclaimer

This information is not meant to replace the advice from a medical professional. You should consult your health care provider regarding specific medical concerns or treatment.

Attribution

“Returning to School After Traumatic Brain Injury” was developed by Paul Wehman, PhD, and Pam Targett, MEd, at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (VCU-RRTC) through a subcontract with TransCen, Inc., and funded by NIDRR/U.S. D.O.E. grant #H133A100007CFDA#84.133A and in collaboration with the University of Washington Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center NIDRR/U.S. D.O.E. grant #H133A060070. Copyright © 2010. May be reproduced and distributed freely with appropriate attribution.

Returning to Work

Source: Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Magazine by Walter Kilcullen: September 2022 Volume 4, Issue 5

This article is a reprint from the Law Firm of Davidoff & Associates (May 7, 2021).

Tips for Returning to Work After Sustaining a Brain Injury

For many people, work is part of their identity — something that makes them feel productive and empowered. After an individual sustains a brain injury, they may be out of work for an extended period of time and eager to return as soon as possible. However, they may be left with certain symptoms that may make it difficult to function at work; for instance, they may experience:

• Fatigue and headaches
• Poor concentration and memory
• Difficulty making decisions
• Decreased self-awareness
• Social isolation

While a long absence from work and the ongoing effects of a brain injury can be overwhelming, we’re here to tell you that returning to work is possible with the right support and proper planning. Here are five essential tips to remember during this process.

Don’t Go Back Before You Are Ready.

While you may be eager to get back to work as soon as possible, you should not go back before you are ready. Doing so could just hinder your physical and emotional recovery. Depending on the type of work that you do, you may also be at increased risk of worsening your condition if you try to get back to work too soon.

Always check with your doctor before you make any changes to your lifestyle or daily activities. If you are thinking about returning to work in the near future, your doctor can help guide you through the process and craft a timeline that would be the safest for your specific condition.

Stick to a Schedule That Works for You.

Developing a routine both at work and outside of work can help you become accustomed to everything new going on in your life. This schedule should include seven to eight hours of sleep a night, some form of regular exercise, and healthy eating habits.

While you are at work, set timers and reminders for yourself that allow you to stay on track of your specific work. Try to complete each task in the allotted time you give yourself, but remember that you’ll want to be flexible with yourself as you relearn how to do certain things. Take copious notes throughout the day to reinforce work details in your memory.

Listen to Your Body and Know Your Limits.

Having a positive, go-getter attitude when it comes to work can help many people succeed at their jobs. However, it’s important that you also be realistic about what your limitations are so that you don’t push yourself too hard. Remember, your health and safety come above all else—including your job.

If you need help or clarification with something, don’t be afraid to ask your employer or your co-workers. In most cases, they will want to make sure that you are not struggling and will want to assist you in any way that they can.

Communicate With Your Employer.

You are not required to disclose any medical or health conditions to your employer. However, keeping them in the loop in regards to your recovery timeline and your own limitations can help them properly plan to have you back in the workplace.

For instance, if you require any type of accommodation, it’s a good idea to communicate with your employer in advance. When you are returning to work after a brain injury, your doctor may way you to:

• Work shorter shifts or have a modified work schedule.
• Take more breaks during your shift.
• Have a quiet place available for you to go away from the pressures of your job.
• Have modified workplace equipment or devices.

At Davidoff Law, we understand the obstacles you may face after sustaining a brain injury. Our legal team is dedicated to protecting the rights of those wrongfully injured so that they can move forward with their lives, all while treating each client like family.

Contact our firm at (888) 211-1116 to get started with your no-fee, no-obligation case review. Our office is located in Queens and we serve all the boroughs of NYC and clientele.

Ride Your Bike Safely

Riding a bike is a physical activity that has many favorable benefits, two of them being that it is enjoyable and also great exercise. In order to get the maximum benefit of enjoyment and exercise that bike riding provides, it is also fundamental to be safe while doing so.

The MotoSport.com website contains many safety tips and riding guidelines to ensure fun while riding your bike, including proper equipment, rules about dealing with motorists, rules of the road, riding at night, special rules for children, special rules for disabled people, what to do if you get stranded, and cycling organizations that promote safety. This is an invaluable biking resource!

Seizures

One of the problems that can occur after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is seizures. Although most people who have a brain injury will never have a seizure, it is good to understand what a seizure is and what to do if you have one. Most seizures happen in the first several days or weeks after a brain injury, but some may occur months or years after the injury. Seizures happen in one of every 10 people who have a TBI that required hospitalization. The seizure usually happens where there is a scar in the brain as a consequence of the injury.

Read a seizure fact sheet on the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) website.

Sleep Apnea: Bad for Your Brain

“Evidence shows that optimal brain health depends on keeping obstructive sleep apnea in check”, says Dr. Chris Iliades. Both the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Neurology state that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is bad for brain health.”

UCLA research shows that over the past 12 years, experts have learned that the gasping during the night that is characteristic of obstructive sleep apnea can damage the brain in ways that lead to high blood pressure, depression, memory loss, and anxiety.

Speech Therapy Following Brain Injury

Speech is often affected after a person has a traumatic brain injury or stroke.

This video explains a few common speech problems and gives solutions to help improve one’s speech.

TBIs, including Concussions, Among Youth Athletes: New CDC Report

The Rancho and Glasgow Coma Scales

The Rancho Scale is used to rate the severity of comas and levels of cognitive functioning.

Rancho Level of Cognitive Functioning

Glasgow Coma Scale (Score at 30 minutes post-injury)

Eye openings

Best Motor Response

Best Verbal Response

Unintentional Injuries May Occur After a TBI: a CDC report

Vision Problems after Brain Injury

Vision problems can be caused by an injury to the brain. This injury can be created by a stroke, a Traumatic Brain Injury, or forms of Acquired Brain Injury such as an aneurysm, brain tumor, brain bleed, anoxia, etc.

Each of these types of brain injury can disrupt the visual process. “Visual problems are often overlooked during the initial treatment of an injury. Not addressing these problems can lengthen and impair rehabilitation. The most important source of sensory information is vision. The visual process involves the flow of information to the brain and the processing of information in the brain,” per the Roswell Eye Clinic.

Read “How a Stroke and Brain Injury Can Affect a Survivor’s Vision” for more information on vision problems created by a brain injury and treatments for them.