Utilizing Brain Training During Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery
The brain is an amazing organ. But if you or a loved one has experienced a traumatic brain injury, you may wonder if you’re ever going to get it back to “normal.” Brain injuries are extremely common, whether it’s a football injury in high school, a car accident, a result of military service, or simple accidents in day-to-day life. For many individuals, brain training has been a helpful tool to recover some of the skills and confidence they lost due to their injuries.
Will a Traumatic Brain Injury Just Get Better?
Most people with TBIs experience immediate and lasting symptoms. These can include things like:
- Cognitive struggles (i.e. issues with learning, reading, remembering, thinking clearly, etc.)
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Struggles with verbal communication
- Headaches
- Struggles with coordination
- Seizures
- Being easily irritable
- Mood swings
- Lack of energy
Every brain is unique and its reaction to trauma is also unique. While some people may bounce back more quickly, others are going to feel the effects long-term. Just like we can’t predict the extent of damage, we can’t just expect a brain injury to “get better.”
Instead, taking some proactive steps to foster healing is very important. Brain injuries often cause cognitive deficits because the injured cells lose communication with other areas of the brain. What brain training does is rewiring. We target the weak areas so that they can become more connected and more efficient as time goes on.
Client Outcomes for Brain Training with TBI*
Over a nine-year period, 386 children and adults came to LearningRx diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI). We measured the cognitive skills of these clients before and after brain training. Here’s what we discovered:
- Among 386 clients with TBI, the most dramatic improvements were seen in long-term memory, auditory processing, and broad attention.
- Long-term memory skills improved an average of 3.9 years following LearningRx brain training.
- IQ scores also improved after LearningRx brain training.
But beyond these improvements on paper, the stories of our traumatic brain injury recovery clients show what a major impact brain training has on their lives.
Past clients who have received TBI help or concussion help have reported:
- Increased confidence
- Improved perseverance
- Longer attention spans
- Stronger memory skills
- Better function at school/work
Like for a 34-year-old client who was suffering effects from an (IED) blast in Iraq who experienced dramatic cognitive gains after just 18 weeks of training…
Or for Jim who feels like he got his life back after a tragic bicycle accident:
Concussion Recovery
Concussions are a subset of brain injuries that occur frequently in individuals who live an active lifestyle. While not as severe as many TBIs, concussions can also impact daily functioning and cognition. Hear executive director Maureen’s story about how she has bounced back from 10 concussions here:
Getting Started with Brain Training
Whether the impact of the injury is slight or life-altering, brain training may be a helpful tool to consider. At LearningRx, we begin everyone at the same place: a cognitive skills assessment. This allows us to establish which cognitive functions are strong and which are weak so we can tailor a plan to allow you the most benefit for your time.
Our one-on-one approach to brain training keeps you accountable and moving forward at an appropriate pace so you can feel confident in your healing process. In addition, our tested and proven methods of building cognitive skills have real impacts on brain function based on fMRI testing!
If you are feeling stuck or confused about where to turn next, we are here to help. Click here to contact us today and get started!
*These are all results of past clients. You or your loved one may or may not experience similar results.
