Recovering from a Traumatic Brain Injury

Injuries to the head or brain can have a range of effects, depending on the form the injury takes and the level of severity. Following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) many patients may display several of the same symptoms as the brain attempts to repair itself, including disorientation, mood swings, and difficulty performing simple tasks. Often after injury swelling, bleeding, or changes in the chemistry of the brain can affect normal functioning of the healthy brain tissue. As swelling decreases, blood flow is able to return to a normal level, and the patient may regain their ability to function in everyday activities.

The most rapid recovery of brain activity is likely to happen in the first six months of recovery, with the patient showing steady signs of improving in function. After this period patients may show signs of further recovery up until two years after the accident, though at a slower rate, and after two years improvement will decrease substantially. During the first six month period there are a range of actions that can be taken to improve chances of a fuller recovery.

The first important step to take during the recovery period is to get plenty of rest, so that the brain has a chance to recover and regain function. While the brain cannot regenerate cells that have died, areas of the brain may be able to take over the activities of the damaged areas by creating new nerve pathways. Avoiding stressful situations is also recommended as these can illicit and amplify mood swings and personality changes that can follow TBI. Avoiding activities where you could sustain further damage to the head is also necessary. The brain cannot recover 100% from a traumatic injury, and participating in risky activities increases the likelihood of repeat injury. The effects of repeat injury build on the original damage in a cumulative manner, lessening the chances of recovery.

Taking medicines should be carefully regulated as many can inhibit the repair of the brain. Although head injuries can cause the patient trouble in falling asleep avoid taking sleeping pills, sedatives, or tranquillisers. Many over-the-counter sleep medications contain antihistamines which can disrupt memory retention and the ability to learn new information in those who have sustained a TBI. If the patient is suffering from headaches, Tylenol should be administered over non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or aspirin which can occasionally cause the site of injury to bleed.

Occupational, speech, and physiotherapists may be employed to aid the rehabilitation process, depending on the nature of the injury, but taking these initial precautions can encourage the brain to begin a process of restoration. 

Exoskeleton Technology – Helping Paraplegics Walk Again

As technologies become more and more advanced new techniques for treating injury are constantly being developed. In 2011 the Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Center became one of only 30 hospitals in the world to test, and offer to a select few patients, a new tool that could changes the lives of paraplegic patients.

The robotics company Ekso Bionic has developed a battery-powered, robotic exoskeleton which enables patients who have lost function in their lower body to walk again. The suit, called Ekso, is a 50 pound framework made of aluminium and titanium that is controlled by a handheld remote. The patient's lower body is strapped into the suit which then uses 15 sensors to ascertain when the user is in a stable position. Pushing a button triggers the Ekso to then take a step forward. Initially only a therapeutic tool for use in rehabilitation centres, select patients are now being chosen to use the device at home.

One such patient is architect Robert Woo who became paralysed in 2007 due to an injury in the workplace. An accident, in which several tons of metal studs fell onto the trailer in which Woo was working, left him paralysed from the chest down and having to use a wheelchair to get around. The new technology has allowed him to travel around on his own two feet with the aid of forearm crutches. Following trials of the Ekso technology, Woo became on of the first people in the United States to be certified to purchase a similar technology, the ReWalk Personal 6.0 System, to use at home.

Alongside the new-found independence that the system has given him, it has also had unexpected effects on his body. Whereas prior to testing the walking technology Woo was incapable of any movement below the chest, he has found that with frequent use of the ReWalk system his upper leg muscles have begun to regain functionality. Although he still relies on the robotic support to walk the process has given him back enough muscle strength that he can now independently lift his legs while sitting.

The technology is still relatively and new each unit costs around $100,000 however, as developments continue the hope is that demand for the walking aid will increase. This in turn will increase production and thus bring the price down, making it easier for more patients to afford this life-changing device. 

Neurobics – Exercises to Keep the Brain Young

As we age our brain activity begins to slow down because the organ looses nerve connections and fails to form new ones. While this is a natural process there is a range of activities that can be done to somewhat reverse, or at least slow down, the mental ageing process.

Take Up a New Hobby

It has been noted that learning a new activity works to keep the brain young by keeping it active. Processing new information encourages the brain to form new connections between nerve cells and may even help to generate new cells. A new hobby can be anything from reading or taking a class to craft projects to physical exercise. New experiences trigger the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that stimulates motivation and perseverance in an activity and the hormone that encourages the production of new neurons.

Master the Crossword

While word and number games may just seem like a fun pass time they also have profound benefits on the neurological level. These brain exercises force various parts of the brain, such as the areas associated with language, numerical reasoning, and problem solving, to work. Over time this improves the performance of these areas and various studies have suggested that frequent work on crossword or sudoku puzzles may even delay the onset of illnesses such as dementia. This is because mental exercises force the brain to make connections and to recall information which, otherwise, can easily be forgotten as we age.

Keep Things Interesting

Just as important as taking up new activities is knowing when to stop doing an activity. If an exercise becomes habitual and routine your brain has normalized it and is no longer creating new neural connections. Much like if you do not do physical exercise the body will lose strength, without mental stimulation the brain becomes sluggish and slow. Shaking up your daily routine by adding in new elements keeps your brain sharp by constantly giving it new information to process. This can be as simple as taking a new route when you travel somewhere familiar. Instead of going into autopilot with well-established directional knowledge taking an unfamiliar route will actively engage the cortex and the hippocampus to process the new area.

It is inevitable that as the body ages the brain will lose some of the agility it had at peak age, in our mid -20s. However, keeping the brain exercised with novel activities can go a certain way to maintaining a healthy brain.