March is designated as Brain Injury Awareness Month, aiming to increase understanding about brain injury and traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the United States, a brain injury occurs every 9 seconds, highlighting the prevalence and importance of this issue. TBI can have both short-term and long-term effects on brain function, impacting a person’s physical and psychological well-being, as well as their ability to function independently.
Short-term effects of TBI include migraines, vision changes, dizziness, balance disturbances, fatigue, and concentration difficulties. Long-term effects may result in challenges with cognition, communication, behavior, the senses, and emotional experiences.
The cognitive impact of TBI includes difficulty with learning, memory, decision-making, and reasoning. Communication can also be affected, leading to difficulties in speech, reading, writing, and expressing emotions or thoughts. Additionally, brain injuries can have negative impacts on behavior and emotions, resulting in difficulties with social interactions, relationships, self-control, and managing aggression. TBI can also lead to depression, anxiety, mood swings, and irritability.
However, there is hope! Treatments like Neurofeedback have been shown to help individuals regain cognitive function and alleviate the symptoms of brain injuries.
Neurofeedback is particularly effective for TBI because a QEEG brain map can pinpoint the specific brain areas that have been injured. A neurofeedback practitioner uses this data to create a personalized treatment plan, targeting the affected brain regions. This non-invasive treatment utilizes a system of rewards to encourage the brain to function more efficiently and effectively, leading to the reduction and elimination of TBI symptoms. At Bhakti Brain Health Clinic, neurofeedback has been utilized to facilitate faster recovery from brain injuries, enabling individuals to regain their pre-injury level of functioning.
