Traumatic Brain Injury

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards derived from lecture notes on rehabilitation techniques for traumatic brain injury, focusing on key terms, concepts, and treatment methodologies.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

A form of acquired brain injury caused by external force, leading to cognitive, physical, and emotional impairments.

Closed Head Injury (CHI)

A type of TBI where the skull remains intact but the brain is damaged due to trauma.

Coup-contrecoup injury

Injury that occurs at the site of impact (coup) and on the opposite side of the brain (contrecoup) as the brain impacts inside the skull.

Traumatic Axonal Injury (TAI)

Diffuse brain injury that disrupts axons throughout the brain, leading to widespread damage.

Cerebral Edema

Swelling of the brain caused by the accumulation of fluid, often related to TBI.

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)

A scale used to assess a patient's level of consciousness by evaluating eye, verbal, and motor responses.

Eye Opening

One of the three GCS indicators; scores range from no response to spontaneous opening.

Verbal Response

An indicator of consciousness measured by the patient's ability to respond verbally to stimuli.

Motor Response

The component of GCS assessing a patient's physical reaction to stimuli.

Coma Severity Scale

A measure used to categorize the severity of a coma based on the GCS score.

Persistent Vegetative State

A condition in which a patient is unresponsive and unable to interact with their environment, typically scoring 8 or less on the GCS.

Rancho Los Amigos Scale

A scale used to assess cognitive recovery stages post-TBI, from unresponsive to purposeful behavior.

Anterograde Amnesia

Loss of memory related to events that occur after a head injury.

Retrograde Amnesia

Loss of memory regarding events that occurred before a head injury.

Aphasia

A communication disorder that affects a person's ability to process and produce language.

Dysarthria

A motor speech disorder resulting from neurological injuries affecting speech muscles.

Post-traumatic epilepsy

Seizures that occur after a traumatic brain injury, found in about 5% of TBI cases.

Cognitive Disturbances

Impairments in thought processes including memory, attention, and problem-solving abilities.

Visual disturbances

Changes in vision due to TBI, including double vision and blurred vision.

Hypertonia

Increased muscle tone, often leading to stiffness or rigidity.

Perceptual Disturbances

Difficulty interpreting sensory information, often seen in TBI patients.

Proprioception

The body's ability to sense its position and movement in space.

Motor response to pain

A measure of GCS indicating how a patient reacts to painful stimuli.

Decorticate posturing

A postural abnormality characterized by flexion of the arms and extension of the legs, often indicating severe brain injury.

Decerebrate posturing

A type of posturing where the arms are extended straight out, indicating more severe brain damage.

Cerebral hypoxia

Deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the brain, often due to TBI.

Epidural hematoma

A type of bleed that occurs between the skull and the dura mater, often from head trauma.

Subdural hematoma

A collection of blood between the dura mater and the brain, frequently resulting from a head injury.

Intracranial hematoma

Bleeding within the skull that can occur post-injury.

Cognitive Behavioral Recovery Sequence

A predictable sequence of recovery observed in cognitive and behavioral function after TBI.

Sensory Stimulation Therapy

Therapeutic interventions aimed at improving sensory processing and perceptual function.

Heterotopic ossification

Abnormal bone growth in soft tissue that can occur post-TBI.

Positioning Therapy

Therapeutic strategies to position patients correctly to reduce complications post-TBI.

Range of Motion (ROM)

Therapeutic exercises aimed at maintaining joint mobility.

Family Education

Teaching family members how to support a loved one recovering from TBI.

Feedback and Reinforcement

Providing patients with information about their performance to aid in learning and recovery.

Environmental modifications

Adjustments to a patient's living or working space to enhance independence post-TBI.

Treatment protocols

Standardized methods employed by physical therapists to treat patients with TBI.

Guided practice

Supervised activities aimed at improving specific skills in rehabilitation.

Safe mobility

Techniques and interventions to prevent falls and enhance patient movement reliability.

Progressive resistance exercises

Strengthening techniques that gradually increase the load to improve muscle strength.

Fine motor skills

Small scale movements involving fingers and hands, important for everyday tasks.

Cerebellar ataxia

Lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements affecting gait and posture.

Visual-spatial awareness

The capacity to understand how objects relate in space, often impaired in TBI.

Health-related quality of life

An individual's perceived physical and mental well-being post-injury.

Neurorehabilitation

The process of restoring neurological function through therapeutic practices.

Task-specific training

Therapy focused on improving skills needed for specific functional tasks.

Hydrotherapy

Therapeutic use of water to mobilize and rehabilitate patients.

Social reintegration

Helping individuals with TBI regain participation in social roles and activities.

Patient-centered care

A care approach that respects and responds to individual patient preferences.

Dysfunctional family support dynamics

Relationship patterns in families that may hinder recovery from TBI.

Motivational interviewing

A counseling approach that improves motivation to change behavior in patients.

Behavioral interventions

Strategies applied to encourage desirable behaviors in patients post-injury.

Multi-sensory integration

Combining different sensory modalities to enhance patient awareness and responsiveness.

Energy conservation techniques

Methods to help patients with TBI manage their energy expenditure effectively.

Transitional care

Support provided to patients as they move from one care setting to another.

Functional outcome measures

Tools used to assess a patient’s ability to perform daily activities post-TBI.

Balance training

Exercises designed to improve stability and prevent falls.

Interdisciplinary approach

Collaboration among healthcare professionals from various fields to provide comprehensive care.

Neuroplasticity

The brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections.

Clinical pathways

Guidelines for treatment protocols followed in clinical settings for consistency.

Arousal-producing interventions

Activities designed to increase a patient’s awareness and responsiveness.

Patient-specific goals

Individualized treatment objectives based on a patient’s unique needs.

Comprehensive assessments

Thorough evaluations of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial factors in rehabilitation.

Feedback loops

Processes where the output of a system feeds back into the system as input for continuous improvement.

Resilience training

Building a patient's ability to cope with setbacks during recovery.

Discharge planning

Preparation process for transitioning a patient from inpatient care to ongoing outpatient therapy.

Motivational group dynamics

Utilizing group support as a motivation enhancement strategy during rehabilitation.

Behavioral recovery metrics

Measurements that assess improvement in behavior and cognitive function post-injury.

Therapeutic relationship

The supportive bond established between therapists and patients, crucial for recovery.

Awareness training

Techniques aimed at improving a patient's consciousness regarding their condition.

Intervention efficacy

The effectiveness of a particular treatment strategy in achieving desired rehabilitation outcomes.

Cognitive-behavioral strategies

Interventions focused on modifying thought patterns to improve emotional regulation.

Visual-motor integration

The ability to coordinate visual input with motor actions.

Documentation standards

Guidelines for recording patient progress and treatment interventions.

Home exercise program (HEP)

Personalized exercise routines given to patients to support rehabilitation at home.

Cognitive flexibility

The mental ability to switch between thinking about different concepts.

Patient engagement strategies

Approaches to involve patients actively in their own rehabilitation process.

Outcome-based evaluation

Assessing the effectiveness of treatment based on measurable patient outcomes.

Quality of life indicators

Metrics used to gauge the general well-being of patients after injury.

Patient satisfaction assessments

Evaluations of how satisfied patients are with their rehabilitation experience.

Evidence-based practice

Clinical decision-making based on the best available, current, valid, and relevant evidence.

Cognitive rehabilitation techniques

Strategies specifically aimed at restoring cognitive function in individuals with brain injury.

Functional capacity assessment

A measure of an individual's ability to perform everyday activities.

Integrated treatment plans

Holistic approaches that address multiple areas of rehabilitation simultaneously.