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Games : Do They Help with Brain Injury Therapy?

These days, there are a number of online and app “brain games” that are designed to keep the mind sharp and to even aid in the recovery of a brain injury. With so many games to chose from, how do we know what works and what is worth our time, particularly if there is a subscription fee?

Do Popular “Brain Games” Really Work?

 

Recently, the company that produces the widely popular “brain game”, Lumosity, agreed to pay a $2 million settlement to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for running deceptive ads. Lumos Labs, the creator of Lumosity, claimed that its popular online game can help users perform better at everyday tasks, at work and school, and even ward off any cognitive impairments due to Alzheimer’s, TBI, and PTSD. When the brain is affected by such disorders or injuries, certain aspects such as attention, language, memory, creativity, problem solving, and perception may be changed.

 

With frequent use, some users may see an “improvement” when playing the same game over and over, but there isn’t enough concrete evidence that its daily use actually wards off cognitive impairments. That said, some experts say that many brain game apps and other games found online won’t do any harm for users, but there’s not enough scientific data to make any bold claims. Many brain games improve memory and stimulate the brain, but if an issue within the brain isn’t properly diagnosed, a brain game should never be used as an alternative for other forms of therapy.

What Kind of “Brain Games” Work?

 

Games can be useful and important when working with individuals who have suffered a TBI or even a stroke. Not only can it add a little fun to therapy, but the right type of game can help target the cognitive area that needs work. For example, some individuals with brain injuries struggle with concentration or memory while others have difficulty finding the right words or have a difficult time with speech. Here are some examples of games that have been used in therapy and have been successful:

 

  • Card Game WAR: It requires players to pay constant attention and keep track of each card’s rank

 

 

  • Battleship: This classic game of strategy challenges players to work on language, planning, reasoning, and fine motor skills.

 

 

  • Concentration: The name says it all, but it also focuses on memory when the players need to remember where certain matching cards are located. Concentration is key to succeed at this game.

 

  • Crossword Puzzles: The great thing about crossword puzzles is that there are various levels and once someone “graduates” from a certain level, there are more challenges ahead. Crossword puzzles challenge individuals with brain injuries or other cognitive impairments to find the right word.

 

 

  • Jigsaw Puzzles: Like crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles offer a variety of levels and they challenge motor skills and concentration.

 

 

While there may be no “tried and true” brain game created for all, keeping the brain active (particularly after a brain injury) can help regain some cognitive abilities.

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Careers with TBI Risks

injured

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can devastate people’s lives. One simple blow to the head can send any person to a lifetime of difficulty. Returning to work after a TBI can be challenging, and even impossible for some TBI patients with former careers.

 

Some jobs are friendlier to your brain—physically speaking—than others. If you’re taking TBI into account when deciding on your career, consider how well or how poorly these careers will affect your brain.  

Office Worker Careers

Office workers rarely suffer blows to the head. Office work may be boring, but it will probably not leave you with a cognitive disability. Office workers do many things, and almost none of those things will leave you with a TBI.

 

  • Pros: When you work in an office, you’ll be safe. White collar workers make their living using their brains, and upper management understand that endanger those precious resources would put the entire business at risk. If you’re interested in avoiding a TBI, office work is for you.
  • Cons: Office work can be dull. You’ll sit behind a computer screen most of the day and be immersed in vexing politics. Your brain may be safe, but it might not get the top notch exercise it desires.

 

Careers in Law Enforcement

Law enforcement workers are regularly put into dangerous situations. Policemen and policewomen frequently need to engage in physical conflict, drive at high speeds, and put themselves in the front lines against the forces that bring ugliness into our lives. This career may be noble, but it is not a great choice for the TBI-concerned worker

 

  • Pros: Police officers work hard to improve their world. Because of the dedication they often show to their mission, police officers display satisfaction with their lives and careers. The work is exciting, dynamic, and will provide long lasting opportunities for development.
  • Cons: Law enforcement officers deal with physical violence. It’s part of the job. As a police officer, you’ll be facing some of the most frequent causes of TBI: blows to the head, high speed driving, and running around in dangerous situations.

 

Careers in Retail

Cashiers, sales clerks, and other retail professionals do not get hit in the head too much. Sellings things to people is good, reliable work, and by doing so you won’t be putting yourself at risk of TBI. Retail is good long term work only for some people. If you’re interested in talking to new people every day and keeping your brain comfortable, go for it. But if you’re interested in risks and excitement, look elsewhere.

  • Pros: You’ll be safe. Retail workers spend most of their time in comfortable places talking to people. Customers can be incredibly rude, sure, but they rarely assault workers. Choose retail if you think you will like walking around stores and helping people find things.
  • Cons: While you’re unlikely to face TBI risks, you could get bored. Retail workers are frequently insulted by members of the public who do not view them as fully human; any seasoned retailer will have countless stories of being bullied and abused by people they don’t even know. You’ll be safe from TBI, but many other forms of psychological violence make provide their own forms of damage.  
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At-Risk Groups for Traumatic Brain Injury

football brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major topic in public health. As an under-discussed but extremely serious condition, TBI awareness needs to be spread among the general population. And even more than the general population, several specific groups need to understand that their situations call for special attention to TBI. If you’re a member of one of these groups, be aware, educate yourself, and stay safe to avoid lasting and brutalizing damage to your body’s central organ.

Athletes and Risks for Brain Injury

Athletes are among the population most at risk for a TBI. Players of heavy hitting sports such as football and boxing are, of course, at the deepest risk. But TBI affects more athletes than just linebackers and welterweight champions. Any athlete can suffer head trauma. In fact, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), cycling is the sport that most commonly associated with brain injury. (The other items in the top five are football, baseball/softball, basketball, water sports (diving, swimming, etc.), and recreational vehicle riding.)

 

If you’re an athlete—of any kind—be careful. Sports enthusiasts suffer TBIs very often. Any small bang to the head can leave you with lasting damage. Even relatively violence-free sports are common sources of injury (see basketball on that list up there?). Fast movements of all sports lead to strong blows to the head. Watch yourself.

Construction Workers and Risks for Brain Injury

Those “hard hat required” signs are there for a good reason. When working construction, hard and heavy object are very likely to come dislodged and knock your head around. Even a small object can severely damage your brain if it falls far and fast enough. Construction workers are vulnerable to pails, planks, wrenches, and countless other objects falling without warning and hitting them in the head.

 

And falling objects aren’t even the most frequent cause of TBIs in construction work. Human falls are. A 2009 study from the medical journal Brain Injury found that simply falling down and hitting a head on the ground was the biggest source of brain injury among construction workers. Construction sites are filled with many tripping hazards, and the fall construction workers take are often longer and harder than the falls people take in most workplaces. If you are a construction worker, be careful on site, wear your hard hat, and walk carefully.

Any Job that Involves Driving

According to the Mayo Clinic, vehicular accidents frequently cause TBIs. Professions in which workers need to drive around regularly—taxi drivers, delivery drivers, postal workers, police, home health aides, etc.—can be potent sources of brain injury danger. Car accidents are, of course, causes of every kind of health problem under the sun, and workers in these jobs are likely already aware of the problems associated with crashes.
If you drive for a living, review your traffic safety skills. Practice defensive driving, watch your surroundings carefully, and wear your seat belt. Even a minor fender bender can give your head a big bump and leave your mind altered forever. Professional drivers can never be careful on the road.

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Energy Drinks & TBI

 

Between extra curricular activities like sports, an afterschool job, and a backpack full of homework, as a parent of a busy teenager, you may consider yourself to be lucky if you see your teen at all. Like millions of other young people, your teenager may drink one of the many popular energy drinks from time to time to keep going. If you’re bothered by your teen’s consumption of the sugary and highly caffeinated drink, there’s another reason to urge your teenager to stop drinking energy drinks. Recent studies suggest that teens who drink energy drinks may be more likely to have a traumatic brain injury.

Link Between Energy Drinks and TBIs

 

If your teen drinks an energy drink every now and then it doesn’t automatically mean that he or she will suffer a head injury, but according to a recent Canadian study published in PLOS ONE, the chances may be greater. Researchers theorize that young people who drink energy drinks on a regular basis may be bigger risk takers which may result in traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Think of the advertising that surrounds energy drinks. It isn’t targeted to the young people who spend their time studying, but rather those who are into extreme sports or young people who want to be “wild” or the life of a party.

 

Additionally, teens who reported having a TBI in the past year were 7 times more likely to report drinking at least five energy drinks within a week. The data is compared to teens, within the same age group, who did not have a TBI. Even more troubling results from the study reveal that of the 10,272 teens, between 7th and 12th grade, those who had experienced a TBI within a year were more likely to drink energy drinks mixed with alcohol. Not only is that behavior problematic in terms of underage drinking, but the level of caffeine in energy drinks masks alcohol making it harder to determine when to stop drinking alcohol.

Permanent Damage

 

Given the information revealed in the study, there could be a strong argument that alcohol is really the issue when it comes to teens and TBIs, but more research needs to be done. Researchers conclude that energy drinks with a high amount of caffeine and alcohol, both consumed on their own, can have damaging effects on a developing brain. Remember, the brain doesn’t fully develop until mid-20s to early 30s. Any damage that occurs during the development stages can be permanent. Energy drinks and alcohol can have the same effects on the brains as illicit drugs. Not only can it affect a young person’s brain, but also damage overall health and lead to death.

 

What Can You Do?

As a parent, it may be difficult to take control of your teen’s energy drink consumption, particularly if he or she has a busy extra curricular or social life. The best way to encourage healthy habits is by modeling healthy habits. When you have an open and honest discussion with your teen about drug use and other risky behaviors, incorporate energy drink use into the discussion. If your son or daughter plays sports or stays up late doing homework, encourage natural ways of boosting energy through foods, water, or even caffeinated tea or a small cup of coffee. You can’t keep your teen away from the world of energy drinks, but you can help him or her know the potential dangers.

 

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TBI: Injury Location Matters

When a person is the victim of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), his brain’s nerve cells become damaged. The normal process of information transfer between brain cells changes, and sometimes it stops altogether. Since the three primary areas of concern with TBI victims include emotional, cognitive and physical development, the injury can result in a noticeable shift in the person’s overall behavior and motor skills. But not all people experience the same symptoms.

In order to understand how a traumatic brain injury may impact the life of a victim and those around him, it’s necessary to first understand the basics of how the brain is divided, and the function of each section. The information is important because the type of challenges the victim will face will depend on the location of the injury.

Left or Right

The brain has two hemispheres, or halves. For 97% of people, the left half of the brain houses logical and verbal functions, such as writing, speaking, listening, and reading. The right half of the brain is where intuitive and nonverbal functions originate. These can include recognizing patterns (visual and oral) and understanding and expressing emotions.
So, a person who suffers a TBI in the left hemisphere may have difficulties with language and communication, while someone who has a TBI in the right hemisphere may face challenges with interpretation, orientation and organizational abilities. This information serves as an excellent starting point in our effort to understand how the location of a traumatic brain injury will impact a person’s abilities and behavior. But, it’s not exactly as clear cut as that, because the brain is divided even further.

Six Regions

In addition to the split halves, the brain is also comprised of six areas, each with its own purpose and functions. The areas do work in coordination with one another, however, with some functions being supported by multiple regions. The six sections of the brain are as follows:

  • Brain stem: swallowing, heart rate, balance, site and sound reflexes, alertness level, body temperature, blood pressure, sweating, digestion.
  • Cerebellum: voluntary movement coordination, equilibrium, reflex motor memory.
  • Frontal lobe: awareness and initiation of activity, judgments, emotional and expressive control, word association, reasoning, abstract thought comprehension, motor activity memory.
  • Parietal lobe: perception of touch, focused voluntary movement, integration of senses.
  • Occipital lobes: vision
  • Temporal lobes: hearing, certain visual perceptions, classifying objects, emotion, processing of verbal data, memory.

Emotional Changes

As evidenced by the list, there are countless ways that a traumatic brain injury can impact a person’s cognitive and physical abilities. But, it’s just as critical that troubling emotional changes not be ignored. A TBI can cause disturbing deviations in behavior that can include aggression, restlessness, mood swings, lack of self-awareness, irritability, and lethargy. Therapy and rehabilitation can help with, not only the physical and cognitive challenges, but the emotional ones as well. Fortunately, help is available even if insurance won’t cover it.

Traumatic brain injuries impact both the victims and their families, and can lead to cognitive, physical, behavioral and emotional challenges. But, understanding the location of the injury, and what functions the impacted areas affect, will go a long way in helping victims and their families understand, face, and conquer those challenges.