Neuropsychological Rehabilitation - Essay Example

Topic: Case Study – Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Introduction Brain injury can be caused by a number ofinstances brought about by drug use or sudden acceleration and deceleration of the head and blunt impact by an external mechanical force, (Povlishock & Katz, 2005). This is referred to as closed head trauma and can result in focal and diffuse injuries to the brain arising from rotational acceleration impacted to the brain and more localized impacts from blunt trauma, (In Levin, In Shum, & In Chan, 2014). These can be attributed to majorly accidents such as motor vehicle crashes, falls, assaults and other injuries that could have been sustained at work places and recreational activities. This is commonly referred to as traumatic brain injury (TBI) where the above causes are majorly occurring in the industrialized countries, (Zaloshnja, Miller, Langlois &Selassi, 2008). The age groups that seem more affected by traumatic brain injury are the adolescents and the elderly, (Helps, Henley & Harrison, 2008). On the other hand, the rate of hospitalization is higher for males by over one and half times than the rate associated with females in a population of 100,000. An analysis of the conditions of traumatic brain injury in the United States reveals that the frequent injuries are sustained during the recent wars in Iran and Iraq, (Desmoulin & Dionne, 2009; Elder &Christian, 2009). It is well estimated that traumatic brain injury has been related with the causes of death of 50 per cent of all the death related to trauma in the world and considered the leading cause of death and disability among young adults. Other estimates indicate that 10 million people worldwide are killed due to trauma related injuries that damages the brain. Brain rehabilitation According to Lincoln, Kneebone, Macniven, & Morris, (2011), neuropsychologists risk being accused of simply being pragmatic if they fail to follow the theoretical guide that their worked needs to adhere to. Hence they need to study the background of the patient as well as the family in order to apply the right theoretical approach to treating a patient. Most of them consider cognitive neuroscience to be of direct or at least indirect benefit to clinical neuropsychological practice as it is part of the successful treatment of a patient having traumatic brain injury. On the other hand, while treating a patient with traumatic brain injury, it is sometimes not making since to treat a patient in the face of cognitive neuroscience as there is little or no relevance in the findings aiming a patient, (Flick, 2011). In psychological management of stroke, the social and emotional perception of a patient such as Charles needs to compare the impairment that has been attributed to the condition of the patient. An example would be a patient who may be unable to tell whether someone is happy or sad, anxious or afraid while some others may be unable to detect mood from the tone of the speaker’s voice. In this case, there is no mention of the emotional condition in relation to others but it will be definite in the recovery period. It will give the patient a sense of the feeling other relatives as well as friends showing support for his recovery have in his hospital visits. The inability to recognize emotions can be brought about by an injury to the right hemisphere as the inability to recognize emotions in a voice can be attributed to lesions in both the right and the left hemisphere. In such patients, the capacity to distinguish optimistic mood states such as contentment and enthusiasm are easily noted as contrasting to pessimistic states of mood such as sad, angry and afraid. Hence lack of such ability that recognized the mood that an individual is in cam lead to misinterpretation of docile situations, this may lead to problematic relations when it comes to interpersonal relationships as well as the misinterpretation of social situations that can result into strained associations, (Guendouzi, Loncke, & Williams, 2011). Neuropsychological rehabilitation Some of the theories that have been advanced in treating brain injury can be from as simple as letting nature take its course without the interference of neurologists. Such a paradigm was advanced by Prigatano (1981) and he went ahead to propose other intervention mechanism such as prosthetic paradigm where patients are helped to make the most effective use of prostheses in an effort to make recovery. There is also the stimulation of the various senses that has been made ineffective by the effects of stroke; this is the most widely utilized method of rehabilitation brain injury though there is little evidence to suggest that it works on its own due to the many problems affecting patients dealing with brain injury (Wilson & Zangwill, 2003). There is the maximizing paradigm where the therapists will look into making full use of the extent, speed and level of learning when it comes to the procedures the patient uses in learning that involves positive reinforcement and feedback. Kennedy, (2007) argues that brain function therapy, directed simulation and other methods aiming to focus on certain brain regions to enhance and increase its activity as well as re-establish the function areas are the most commonly practiced. This will also help in the establishment of new functional areas and might incorporate the medical, biomedical and surgical treatments. All these combined with other therapeutic treatments will be beneficial in the restoration of brain function in a patient such as 52 year old Charles. The restoration of his communication skills will also be a priority in the treatment of the brain injury while at the same time stabilizing his arms, legs and any other affected movement. Further other models that can be used by a patient such as Charles would be an environmental control model that has environmental techniques to watch out the adaptation. According to Lincoln, (2012), skill training would be helpful in self-monitoring that can incorporate skill training model for the purpose of enhancing the ability to set own goals and have a sense of direction. Other approach models such as strategic substitution model and the cognitive cycle model used in the collaborative approach would be best suited in enhancing the treatment approach in reversing the normal adult life. Conclusion The ability of a patient to recover fully depends on the attitude and the doctor choice of treatment, assuming that the doctor has the relevant knowledge in rehabilitation process, (Andrewes, 2001). The high degree of contextual support received at the recovery stage would mean that the required self-initiation compensation behavior will be reduced to an unnecessary level. Other environmental supportive adaptations will bring forth traits that may seem to support memory recovery and hence generate back the required communication standards of a normal person over a period of time. It will thus be a sensible conclusion to say that Charles, though being impaired in his movement, has the zeal to get through the stroke condition and recovery fully to get back to his teaching career. As an adult committed to the full recovery of his health from the stroke, Charles has the opportunity to get all the help he needs professionally and his zeal to attain normal life is a big advantage. The respected hospitals all around him will guarantee the attention he needs for his condition as well as the professional care. Though stroke may be a severe condition at some stages of life, Charles will need information on the condition in getting to know the various stages he will face in recovering; being a grown man and understanding the condition he is undergoing will not be a huddle as from a medical perspective, the recovery of an adult will be enhanced by the understanding of life’s purpose as opposed to a child wondering how he ended up in the situation. References Andrewes, D. G. (2001). Neuropsychology: From theory to practice. Hove, East Sussex: Psychology Press Desmoulin, G.T., & Dionne, J.P. (2009). Blast-induces Neurotrauma: surrogate Use, Loading mechanisms and cellular respoces. Journal of trauma-injury infection and critical care. 67(5), p. 1113-1122. Elder, G.A., & Cristian, A. (2009). Blast-related Mild traumatic brain injury: mechanisms of injury and impact on clinical care. Mount Sinai Journal and medicine. 76(2), p. 111-118. Flick, G. L. (2011). Understanding and managing emotional and behavior disorders in the classroom. Boston: Pearson. Guendouzi, J., Loncke, F., & Williams, M. J. (2011). The handbook of psycholinguistic and cognitive processes: Perspectives in communication disorders. New York, N.Y: Psychology Press. Helps, Y., Henley, G., & Harrison, J. (2008), hospital separation due to traumatic brain injury, Australia 2004-2005. Adelide. Australian Institute of health and welfare. In Levin, H. S., In Shum, D., & In Chan, R. C. K. (2014). Understanding traumatic brain injury: Current research and future directions. Kennedy, P. (2007). Psychological management of physical disabilities: A practitioners guide. London: Routledge. Lincoln, N. B. (2012). Psychological management of stroke. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.. Lincoln, N. B., Kneebone, I. I., Macniven, J. A. B., & Morris, R. C. (2011). Psychological Management of Stroke. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Povlishock, J.T., & Katz, D.I. (2005), update of neuropathology and neurology recovery after traumatic brain injury. Journal of head trauma rehabilitation. 20(1), p. 76-94 Prigatano, G. P. (1999). Principles of neuropsychological rehabilitation. New York: Oxford University Press Wilson, B. A., & Zangwill, O. L. (2003). Neuropsychological rehabilitation: Theory and practice. Exton, Pa: Swets & Zeitlinger Publishers. Zaloshnja, E., Miller, T., Lnaglois, J.A., & Selassi, A.W. (2008). Prevalence of longterm disability from traumatic brain injury in the givilian population of the United States. Journal of head trauma rehabilitation. 23(6), p. 394-400. Read More