Key Terms & Concepts

Key terms in Brain Injury Rehabilitation include:

Activities of Daily Living (ADL), assistive technology, balance retraining, cognitive rehabilitation, executive function support, neuroplasticity, behavioral rehabilitation, and the various roles within a rehabilitation team.

Concepts involve understanding specific deficits like aphasia and agnosia, applying therapeutic approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and focusing on functional recovery through methods like virtual reality (VR) and task-specific training.

Key terms and concepts

  • Activities of Daily Living (ADL): Routine activities like bathing, dressing, and feeding that are essential for personal care and independence
  • Assistive Technology: Devices that help improve function, communication, and
    independence, such as computerized speech systems or adaptive equipment
  • Balance and Balance Retraining: Techniques to improve postural stability, which can involve sensory, motor, and cognitive interventions
  • Behavioral Rehabilitation: Methods to reduce maladaptive behaviors and thought
    patterns, often using techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or behavioral chaining
  • Cognitive Rehabilitation: Restorative and compensatory strategies to address deficits in memory, attention, and executive functions.
    Executive Function Support: Specific interventions to help with skills like planning,
    problem-solving, and organization.
    Neuroplasticity-Based Rehabilitation: Therapy that leverages the brain’s ability to
    rewire itself through methods like constraint-induced movement therapy and task-
    specific training.
  • Specific Deficits:
    • Aphasia: A language disorder affecting speech, writing, or both.
    • Amnesia: Memory loss, which can be temporary or long-lasting.
    • Agnosia: The inability to recognize familiar objects or sounds despite intact senses.
    • Fatigue: A state of exhaustion that may be chronic and not relieved by rest.
  • Technological Rehabilitation: Using technology like virtual reality (VR), robotics, and brain-computer interfaces (BCI) to retrain motor and cognitive functions.
  • Rehabilitation Team: A multidisciplinary team that works with the patient and family to set and achieve recovery goals. This can include physiatrists, physical and occupational therapists, speech-language