Appreciating the Impact of Cognitive Deficits

Many of those who come to see us here at Curtis & Lucero after seeing a family member or friend suffer a traumatic brain injury automatically assume the worst. If you have had a loved one suffer a similar injury, then it is easy to understand how overjoyed you might have felt to see them awake and alert following a TBI. You should know, however, that simply surviving a TBI does not mean that are out of the woods altogether. 

One of the unfortunate companions of a TBI can be cognitive deficits. Cognitive processes are all of those related to basic daily functions, such as motor function, attention, memory and perception. Even a mild TBI can effect these processes. Per the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, your family member or friend may have difficulty remaining focused, processing information, retaining information, or being able to formulate strategies related to goals and achievements. They might even suffer from poor spatial recognition (being able to comprehend the environments they are in) or regulating their emotions and tempers. 

All of these issues can contribute to them having extremely difficulty returning their routines after suffering a TBI. Cognitive deficits can make it difficult to fulfill job functions, or even perform daily tasks around the home. Thus, rather than having to worry about constant medical care, you are instead left to be concerned about how they will support themselves (or even if they will be able to return to work at all). For this reason, the potential of dealing with such deficits should be considered when contemplating whether or not to take legal action following a TBI. 

More information on the short- and long-term effects of a TBI can be found here on our site. 

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