Only a stroke survivor can truly relate to another stroke survivor. But that doesn’t mean that everyone else needs to feel like an outsider. In this article, you gain insight into what every stroke survivor wished you knew about stroke recovery. The more you understand, the more you can help a loved one in recovery. If you are a caregiver, it’s important to educate yourself about stroke recovery so you can be a resource and offer support. You can educate yourself about rehabilitation methods to help your loved one recover. You also may want to increase your awareness of how to be a positive en ..read more

Do you find yourself saying or doing things you would normally keep under raps?  This loss of control over your emotions and behaviors could be a result of your brain injury. Disinhibition after brain injury is a common behavioral issue that occurs early in recovery. Today’s article will explain the causes and signs of disinhibition after brain injury, plus how to help the person regain control. Causes of Disinhibition After Brain Injury Disinhibition refers to your brains inability to control inappropriate behaviors or impulses. This can result in risky behavior, poor decision-makin ..read more

Global aphasia is the most severe type of aphasia caused by extensive damage to the areas of the brain associated with language. Although global aphasia may be frustrating for the individual experiencing it and their loved ones, there is hope for regaining communication skills. This article will examine the causes and symptoms of global aphasia, as well as outline possible treatment and recovery techniques. Use the following links to jump directly to a specific section: Causes Symptoms Is Aphasia Permanent? Importance of Neuroplasticity Approaches to Rehabilitation Therapeutic Techniques Comm ..read more

Can Ritalin for stroke patients help boost recovery? Is it safe? And does it actually work? Read on to learn how Ritalin can impact stroke recovery— depending on your unique medical conditions. To help determine whether Ritalin can aid in your recovery, this article will lay out the pros and cons. What is Ritalin?  Ritalin is a medication that increases neurotransmitter activity in the brain. It’s a stimulant primarily used to manage cognitive and behavioral difficulties in individuals with ADHD. However, its effects on the brain can also be beneficial for patients after a stroke. Ri ..read more

Predicting the outcome of traumatic brain injury (TBI) recovery can be difficult. While statistics can help give an overall picture, they are not always indicative of how a specific individual might fare. Recovery outcomes after traumatic brain injury vary widely, largely dependent upon the severity of the injury. Following a brain injury, doctors often use assessments, such as the Glasgow Coma Scale or Ranchos Los Amigos Scale, to determine an individual’s current state and prognosis. However, even with the most accurate tests, is not possible to predict every possible TBI outcome. With consi ..read more

Aphasia is a communication disorder that involves a loss of ability to understand or express speech after neurological injury. There are many types of aphasia, each with its own unique symptoms. Conduction aphasia, in particular, refers to the inability to repeat words or phrases. The good news with conduction aphasia is that, in most cases, other areas of language are only mildly impaired. To help you understand the causes and recovery process for conduction aphasia, this article will discuss: Causes of Conduction Aphasia Characteristics of Conduction Aphasia Diagnosing Conduction Aphasia Tr ..read more

On the road to recovery, it can be tempting to look for methods to recover from stroke quickly. Fortunately, while stroke recovery is a lengthy process, there are several ways to maximize your rehab potential! Nevertheless, it’s also important to acknowledge that there are no quick fixes for healing the brain. This is why an intentional, consistent rehab plan is so important for stroke recovery. Every stroke is different and every recovery is different as a result. This means all survivors recover from stroke at different rates, with some seeing recovery more quickly than others. Everyone’s un ..read more

It is possible to treat hand paralysis using sensory inputs to your brain. Sensory stimulation to the brain comes in a variety of forms:  vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell, and proprioception (joint position sense).  The term sensory refers to any way your brain receives information from the outside world. Loss of hand function can be very frustrating after Stroke.  When there is little to no movement in the hand, it can seem difficult to spark recovery.  However, there are still ways to stimulate the cortex and begin recovery, even with a flaccid hand.  Using senso ..read more

There is an app for almost everything, and this includes recovery for stroke patients. Apps for stroke patients conveniently provide access to therapy straight from your phone or tablet. While working directly with a therapist during stroke rehabilitation is always best, these different apps can help supplement your home exercise program. Apps can also be helpful for stroke patients unable to attend daily outpatient therapy due to insurance limits.   During rehabilitation, your therapy team will encourage you to practice your home exercise program between therapy sessions, and that’s wher ..read more

Primary progressive aphasia is a neurological syndrome that slowly and progressively impairs a person’s language abilities. Symptoms usually begin gradually, often starting with minor naming and word-finding problems. As symptoms worsen, individuals eventually may lose the ability to produce and understand written and/or spoken language. This article will discuss the major causes of primary progressive aphasia and how to recognize its early signs. Although there is currently no treatment, early intervention with speech therapy may help slow the progression. Use the links below to jump straight ..read more