Cognitive Deficits

Patients who have experienced a brain injury from stroke, trauma (especially mild concussion), tumor, inflammation or anoxia often sustain life-altering cognitive or behavioral changes. These changes may be subtle during the initial onset of an illness leading to the lack of detection and treatment. Left untreated these changes have devastating effects on one’s ability to engage in daily life roles (parent, student, employee, spouse, employer, etc.) Adjustment issues including depression and even thoughts of suicide are often the consequence of these changes.

These changes can occur in the following areas:

• Memory (repeating information, forgetfulness)
• Attention /concentration (difficulty multitasking; tasks unfinished)
• Orientation (confusion with time, place, events, location; getting lost)
• Emotions (excessively sad or happy for a given situation)
• Personality (short tempered, aggressive, irritable, poor initiation, passive)
• Self-regulating skills (impulsive, lack of inhibition, poor decision-making)
• Energy level (poor physical or mental endurance, fatigue)
• Sleep pattern (either too little or too much)
• Communication skills (word finding problems, articulation errors, slow thought processing / organization)
• Reading (poor retention, confusion with text)
• Writing (spelling problems, word choice errors, poor organization of thoughts)
• Math (confusion with concepts, application of skills)
• Equilibrium function (impaired balance, dizziness, ringing of the ear) 

These symptoms may appear mild but can lead to life-long impairment in an individual’s ability to function in daily activities of work, school or home life. Help is available to treat these problems.

Willis-Knighton Neuro-Rehabilitation Program treats not only the obvious physical problems resulting from these disorders but also the cognitive and behavioral problems. We have a coordinated, comprehensive program with the most experienced staff in a 60-mile radius. For more information, call (318) 716-4720.