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Understanding Stroke-Induced Speech & Language Disorders
Your Guide to Posterior Circulation Stroke Symptoms
These strokes occur when the blood supply to these areas is compromised due to blockages (ischemia) or bleeding (hemorrhage) in the vertebrobasilar arterial system, which includes the vertebral and basilar arteries. How Common is a Posterior Circulation Stroke?...
Steps Versus Time
When a patient comes to Moody, often they ask our doctor or therapists a question such as “How long until I am able to walk on my own?” or “How much time until my memory will come back?” This focus on time is understandable. The healing process for a severe acquired...
Thalamic Stroke Symptoms: What to Look Out For
Right at the center of the brain is a walnut-shaped mass responsible for processing nerve signals for sensation, movement, and mental cognition. This is the thalamus, the designated “relay station” that transmits signals from the body to the brain and vice versa....
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we remember all the many ways that Dr. King helped raise people up who were experiencing difficulties and fought for everyone’s rights. Many people remember his famous “I Have A Dream” speech given at the March on Washington for...
What Are Common Spinal Stroke Symptoms?
Your spine has plenty of nerves essential for transporting signals from your brain to the rest of your body. These are vital for voluntary and involuntary movement, such as moving your limbs or ensuring your digestive organs function normally. However, when...
How to Detect Mini Stroke Symptoms in the Elderly
Mini strokes are short-lived health events, usually lasting only a few minutes. Unlike a full-blown stroke, mini-strokes often do not cause permanent damage, with symptoms fully resolved within 24 hours. Despite the lack of lasting consequences, mini-strokes should be...
Your Guide to Neurological Rehabilitation
Neurological rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary practice that focuses on restoring function and enhancing the quality of life for people suffering from stroke, traumatic brain injuries, or degenerative neurological disorders. It stands as a shining source of hope...
What Are the Symptoms of a Stroke in an Elderly Woman?
Anybody can experience a stroke regardless of gender or age. However, it is more likely to happen to older adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the risk of having a stroke doubles every 10 months beyond 55 years old. The CDC adds...
The Top 10 Traumatic Brain Injury Books to Read
Books can be an invaluable resource for traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors, their loved ones, and their caregivers who want to learn more about this condition. There are many traumatic brain injury books that are helpful for anyone who wants to learn more about...
Being Kind to Ourselves Makes a Difference
We each tend to be our own harshest critic. There is nothing that someone can say that would be meaner or nastier than what we say to ourselves. This is a natural part of being human; everyone does this. When our lives are going well, a little self-criticism does not...
What is a Non-Traumatic Brain Injury?
A non-traumatic brain injury (nTBI) refers to brain damage caused by factors other than external trauma. These causes can include exposure to certain toxins, complications of an infection, or a symptom of a medical condition. A stroke is usually the most common cause...
What Are the Recovery Stages of a Traumatic Brain Injury?
For humans, few afflictions are as complex and concerning as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). A TBI is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a disruption in normal brain function due to an external force with symptoms manifesting at...
What Are the 6 Stages of Concussion Recovery?
Recovering from a concussion differs for every person. Some return to their normal life days after their injury, while others suffer physical and mental effects months or years after the incident. Fortunately, 80% of concussed patients recover in 10 days, on...
How Many Concussions Are Too Many?
When you hit your head, fall or get tackled to the ground, your brain can bounce and move against the skull’s bony structure. This results in a concussion or a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and brings symptoms of varying severity. Some events that cause...
Is a Stroke a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Experiencing a brain injury is a harrowing experience that can profoundly impact a person's life. Depending on the severity and location of the damage, individuals may experience symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Long-term challenges are expected, and patients may...
Heart Attacks Can Cause Brain Damage
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one person dies of a heart attack every 40 seconds. Not all heart attacks are fatal. More than 805,000 incidents of heart attacks...
American Heart Month
February is American Heart Month! Keeping your heart healthy is not only excellent advice to prevent heart attacks but also to prevent strokes. The heart is the best known part of the cardiovascular system. The heart takes the blood and pumps it throughout the body....
You Can’t Replace Something with Nothing
Following a brain injury, many survivors use their injury event as an opportunity to make positive life changes. This may involve commitments of abstinence from alcohol or illicit substances, cessation of dangerous hobbies or reduction of aggressive behaviors. All of...
Navigating the Holidays With a Traumatic Brain Injury
The holidays are about spending time with those closest to you. However, when you're recovering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the holidays can be a little more challenging. In fact, when you have a TBI, holidays can easily feel overwhelming. You may not have...
Celebrating 40 Years as Leaders in Post-acute Brain Injury Rehabilitation
This year marks Moody Neuro’s 40th anniversary of providing breakthroughs in brain injuries! We are very grateful to everyone for their continuous support over the past 40 years. Moody Neuro has helped hundreds of patients and we look forward to serving hundreds more....
Secondary Stroke Prevention Guidelines: What You Can Do to Prevent a Second Stroke
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), almost 800,000 people have strokes every year in the U.S. Someone suffers from a stroke in the U.S. every 40 seconds, and stroke fatalities occur every 3.5 minutes. These are unsettling numbers, and the risks don’t...
Concussion Awareness 101
Concussions have become a hot topic in recent years but there are many misconceptions regarding them. Let’s take a moment to talk about what they are, what are the symptoms and what steps may be taken after a concussion. A concussion is a form of traumatic brain...
Noticing the Positive
Depression and low mood are common symptoms after a brain injury. Some of this may be due to neurochemical changes in the brain after an injury. However, much of it is due to the feelings of loss, stress, and frustration following a brain injury. The brain injury...
Emergency Preparedness Guide for Post-Brain Injury Patients
Early June brings hurricane season to Texas, and with that comes a fresh reminder of the need to plan for emergencies. People often don’t realize the full extent of consideration that new challenges require following a brain injury. They particularly may not...
Visual Scanning Activities
Visual scanning skills are essential for processing information in our daily lives. However, some individuals might have issues with recognizing ocular stimuli for a variety of reasons. Luckily, several activities exist that are not only helpful for improving visual...
What Is Left Neglect?
Injury to the brain’s right hemisphere can cause left neglect. The condition is also known as left side neglect, unilateral neglect or hemispatial neglect. It is one of the oddest symptoms of brain injury and can be one of the most troublesome. “Left neglect” is a...
Tax Day Deductions TBI Patients Need to Know
If you or a family member suffers from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), you likely have a burden of expenses. These additional costs compound the emotional and physical toll that is already affecting you and your loved one’s quality of life. As Tax Day approaches, it’s...
What Do Traumatic Brain Injury and Sleep Disorders Have to Do With One Another?
Following a traumatic brain injury (TBI), sleep disorders are a common problem. Even in mild cases of TBI, the quality and quantity of an individual’s sleep can suffer. Studies estimate that around 30% to 70% of TBI patients have sleeping disorders. Furthermore,...
What Are the Top 10 Most Common Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms?
Certain symptoms may occur after you or a loved one experiences a traumatic brain injury (TBI). For example, changes to one’s physical health, emotional state, and behavior can all be signs of a TBI. And before you can help your loved one on their path to recovery,...
Disorientation and the New Year
As the new year is upon us, it is important for brain injury survivors and their families to be aware that the change in year can lead to disorientation. Survivors become used to the year 2021. Due to their injury, it can be hard to switch to the new year of 2022. As...
5 Tips to Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms?
Following a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the first question patients ask is...How long will recovery take? And what can I do to give myself the best recovery possible? Recovery is a challenging period. Oftentimes, it’s dependent on time, rest, and therapy. However,...
10 Supportive Traumatic Brain Injury Resources for Parents
Finding helpful resources for your TBI recovery isn't always straightforward. If you’re also providing care to your child after a TBI, searching for help can add to the already stressful season. It should be easier to find the resources you need to help get through...
Which TBI Care Plan Is Right for You?
We want to give our loved ones the best care and support possible following a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Specialized care is often needed for a full recovery since the recovery process for TBI varies from one person to the next. But numerous support programs are...
How Long Does It Take to Recover From a Traumatic Brain Injury?
When a family member experiences a traumatic brain injury (TBI), it’s natural to want to know how long the recovery period will last. However, this can be difficult to predict. In fact, depending on the severity of the injury, recovery time for a TBI may vary from a...
When Should You Seek Medical Care for a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Head injuries can be frightening, whether they happen to you or a loved one. When left untreated, head trauma can lead to neurological complications that may decrease quality of life. However, it can be difficult to discern when TBI medical care is necessary. In mild...
Breaking Ground on the Moody Neuro Space Center Facility
Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute is opening a new location! On July 14th, 2021, Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for its third location in Space Center, Nassau Bay. The City Council of Nassau Bay granted the request for a...
Olympic Brain Injury Heroes
The Olympics feature many of the greatest athletes of the world aiming for a gold medal. But did you know that some of these incredible Olympic athletes are also brain injury survivors? Kieran Behan Kieran Behan was only the second Irish gymnast to qualify for the...
Choosing a Brain Injury Treatment Clinic
When your loved one experiences a brain injury, it’s natural to want to get them help quickly. But before you decide on a TBI clinic, you need to ask some important questions. Not all acute brain injury rehabilitation is the same. After all, the decision will make all...
10 Things I Wish People Knew About Brain Injuries
It is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and we want to share with you 10 things about brain injuries that some may be unaware about. Brain Injury is one of the most common disabling conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 4.5% of the US...
Black History Month – Celebrating Brain Injury Heroes
February is Black History Month! As we celebrate the contributions that African Americans have made at all levels for our country, let’s take some time to celebrate important African-American brain injury heroes. Harriet Tubman was one of the conductors of the...
Presidential Success After a Brain Injury
Some brain injury survivors and their families make a common mistake. They view the brain injury event as an ending. Life as they know it is over and that there is no hope for success in the future. This is most certainly not the case. Many survivors of...
Family Caregivers: Why They Are Important During Recovery From Traumatic Brain Injury
There are many tools that help survivors recover from their traumatic brain injury. But one of the most important tools for recovery is something no hospital in the world can offer: family caregivers. Being familiar with a survivor’s personality and habits, before the...
Taking Care of Yourself While Caring For Your Loved One
Caregiving can be a tough, yet amazingly rewarding role. Caregivers are a vital part of the success of brain injury survivors. Long after formal rehabilitation is over, caregivers fill roles such as nurse, advocate, coach, and therapy-aide. Often,...
Talking About Your Injury
One of the more stressful aspects of the injury experience is deciding how to answer questions about the injury experience. This can be particularly stressful as many survivors find themselves receiving a barrage of questions every time they return to familiar...
The Saddest Story
I would like to tell you the saddest story of my professional career. I was working at a major city hospital and one of my jobs was consultation neuropsychological testing. When a patient was admitted to the general medical unit of the hospital but the attending...
What Happened to Your Shoes?
We each have a way that we are used to visualizing ourselves. It is part of our identity. We may comb our hair in a certain way, favor certain styles of clothing or wear certain shades of lipstick. Catching sight of ourselves in a mirror presenting in our typical...
Beware Slippery Sidewalks
Slips and falls due to slippery sidewalks and other similar surfaces pose a real concern, whether an individual does or does not have a brain injury. However, the risks of injuring oneself in this way after a brain injury are often more frequent and more serious. Many...
Emilia Clarke is a Survivor!
On Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke's character Daenerys Targaryen is tough as nails and always up for a battle. But perhaps Clarke's toughest personal battle was when she had brain aneurysms, which included multiple surgeries to save her life. Click the link below to...
The Rehabilitation Partnership
One of the most basic truths of successful rehabilitation is that it involves a partnership between the patient and therapists/doctors. It is important to understand what this partnership entails, namely that without both parties' investments in the process the...
Bret Hart is a Survivor!
Bret “The Hitman” Hart is a wrestling legend. For years he traveled the globe as one of the biggest stars in the world of wrestling. But even a tremendous athlete like Hart can have a stroke. Hart had that stroke in 2001. He spent three months in a wheelchair and...
Give. It. A. Minute.
One of the most common mistakes that brain injury survivors’ loved ones make after an injury is not giving the survivors enough time to respond or take an action. For instance, a survivor and his family may be at a restaurant for dinner. When the survivor...
Using the Open Chair Technique
Survivors with brain injuries push themselves to get better. Staff members at Moody Neuro see this every day. Survivors push themselves to walk better. They push themselves to speak better. They push themselves to improve their memory. ...
Michael Johnson is a Survivor!
Olympic gold medal sprinter Michael Johnson has always kept himself in great shape, even in retirement from his celebrated professional career. However, it is possible for even a healthy individual to have a stroke. Michael Johnson recently suffered a transient...
Bike Helmets Are Not Just For Kids
This post, as many of the posts on this blog have been, was motivated by an everyday experience (had either at work or in my personal life). This particular post was influenced by a conversation I had on Facebook. Recently, a friend of mine posted a picture from 20...
Practice Makes Proficient
Neurorehabilitation from a brain injury involves learning and re-learning a long list of common activities. Patients spend hours honing skills such as naming well-known items, transferring to and from a wheelchair and using adaptive...
Why Brain Injury Education is Important
Recently, I was speaking with an acquaintance about our jobs. He is a young, bright family physician. The young physician explained to me how those patients he treats with brain injuries have all suffered mild brain injuries. He then proceeded...
Gary Busey is a Survivor!
Actor Gary Busey, the star of countless movies and television shows, is also a traumatic brain injury survivor. On December 4, 1988 Busey suffered a serious motorcycle accident while riding without a helmet. This accident caused a severe traumatic brain injury which...
Two Plans
While working on their recoveries at TLC, patients often tell staff about all of the activities they will engage in once they are “all better.” They will share these plans regarding work, vacations, school and family clearly having spent significant time...
TLC on TV!
TLC was on TV! The TLC facilities in Galveston and Lubbock both recently acquired innovative new robotic arm devices from Bionik Laboratories. Our partnership with Bionik Laboratories will allow TLC patients to make use of this cutting edge technology in efforts to...
Dylan O’Brien is a Survivor
Brain injury does not discriminate. Even those most famous of Hollywood stars are not immune to being injured. Maze Runner star Dylan O’Brien suffered a brain injury due to an accident while filming the third Maze Runner film. He needed many months to recover from...
Lessons from a Blind Man
We here at the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute often host patients and family members that speak Spanish as a primary language. Spanish-speaking TLC staff members are generally on-hand to translate during therapies and other necessary...
New Technology Can Lead To More Success
Technology plays an ever-increasing indelible role in our modern lives. Just as our phones and televisions are enhanced by new technological advancements, so does neurorehabilitation from brain injuries benefit in a similar fashion....
Ronald Reagan’s Brain Injury
Ronald Reagan served as President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He passed away in 2004 from Alzheimer’s Disease, perhaps the most famous victim of this terrible affliction. Most Americans are unaware that in 1989 (just months after he completed his second...
Different Parts, Different Speeds
Brain injury survivors and their families often ask doctors and therapists about how long it will take for brain injuries to heal. This would seem like a simple and straightforward question, but the answer to this question is actually quite...
What Language Do You Speak?
There is an interesting phenomenon often observed in brain injury survivors who were bilingual to the extent of fluency prior to their injuries. In these survivors who have post-injury language deficits the first (native) languages tend to return more quickly...
Joe Biden is a Survivor
As Vice President of the United States under Barack Obama, Joe Biden served 8 years as one of the most important politicians in America. Prior to holding the Vice Presidency, Biden served several terms as a senator representing the State of Delaware. It was during...
Grounding Identity
Living through the brain injury experience can represent quite the assault on a survivor’s identity. Previously athletic survivors may now struggle to walk. Previously active and industrious survivors may now be unemployed. Instead of being in...
Frankie Muniz and Strokes
Actor Frankie Muniz is best known for his work in the hit TV show Malcolm in the Middle and recently has been competing on Dancing With The Stars. Few know of a far more private battle that he has been fighting, though. Muniz estimates that he has suffered as many...
Alcohol, Seizures and Brain Injury
A drunk driving accident. A fight at a bar after a night of drinking. A serious tumble at home after a few too many. Many brain injury survivors received their brain injuries while under the influence of alcohol. In fact, studies have shown...
The Overlooked Release
One of the most important factors in providing quality care is for a health care provider to have all information pertinent to a patient’s health. For instance, knowing that a patient has a history of seizures may influence the type of attention...
Recreation After An Injury
Following a brain injury, survivors often have a sudden surplus of time on their hands. Many individuals are unable to return to work at their former jobs, and even those able to effect such a return will often spend some time between...
Open Communication
The brain injury experience is a remarkably complex one. Overnight, so many things change and so many adjustments need to be made. Throughout this experience, brain injury survivors have goals, concerns and aspirations. Survivors'...
Free Continuing Education Credits on Brain Injury and Concussion
There is an increased awareness in health care professionals regarding the importance of learning about brain injuries and concussions. The Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute offers continuing education presentations by staff experts for no charge in order to educate...
How Can I Support A Caregiver?
As modern medicine improves and our population ages, more individuals are able to live longer with serious health issues including permanent deficits resulting from a brain injury. This notable demographic shift places more loved ones in the...
Education Loan Forgiveness
With the continuing rise of college costs, more and more students are taking out Federal loans to pay for higher education. These loans can often total in the tens of thousands of dollars. Following a severe brain injury, many survivors will of course see ability to...
Life, Brain Injury and Repairing with Gold
There is a fascinating art form originating from Japan called “kintsugi” (a name formed from the Japanese root words meaning “golden” and “joining”). In this form of art, broken pottery is repaired by using lacquer mixed with gold, silver or platinum. ...
Utilizing Music For Mood
Music has the amazing power to touch our hearts and souls. The right song at the right time can move us in powerful ways, eliciting emotions ranging from brightest joy to deepest sorrow. Harnessing the power of music can also help brain...
What Is Prosopagnosia?
Prosopagnosia is a symptom of brain injury in which brain injury survivors face acute difficulty in recognizing the faces of people (even including the faces of loved ones closest to survivors). A survivor with prosopagnosia may not...
Tell Me What You Can Do
While under our care here at TLC, it's very common for patients to talk with staff about post-injury deficits and areas of recovery that present those patients with particular difficulty. The self-awareness of deficits that such dialogue...
It’s Ok To Do It Differently
When I was a senior in high school, I had a physics teacher whose outlook differed from that of most science teachers. Early in the year she told us that when we answered questions on her tests, she did not care about how we came to a given answer. As...
Quick Points on Wheelchair Safety in Parking Lots
Following their injuries, many brain injury survivors are left depending upon wheelchairs to meet basic mobility needs. This change in mobility creates new safety considerations that must be taken into account on a daily...
The Problem With the Word “Should”
The word “should” may be one of the most hazardous words in the life of a brain injury survivor. It tends to appear in sentences such as “I should be walking already” or “I should have been back at my job by now.” The word confers...
Why Are We “Suddenly” Hearing About Brain Injuries
Brain injuries are a hot topic in today's media. Whether it be football players with lasting damage due to concussions, soldiers suffering from brain injuries due to overseas conflicts or the latest youth sports concussion protocols, it seems that there are...
Just Be Grateful
"Just be grateful you are alive" "Just be thankful you didn't die" "You should just focus on the fact you survived" Brain injury survivors hear these types of well-meaning lines all the time. They are used by family members and friends to help survivors see the...
Give Yourself Permission
Brain injury survivors and their loved ones often try to approach life after an injury as if it is a fight. Battle hard, stay strong and never let your enemy see your weaknesses. But in truth, though there are some similarities in this analogy that are...
Doing It Best
Jahvid Best appeared to be on the road to football stardom. Drafted in the first round by the Detroit Lions, Best possessed blazing speed that was the envy of other running backs. Unfortunately, his professional football career met a premature end during it’s second...
When Michael Jordan is Smarter than the Media
As a brain injury rehabilitation therapist, some days it can be simply painful to read the news. Today was one of those days. Sometimes, the media seems incapable of appreciating the seriousness of brain injuries and willful in its disregard for the importance...
Citizen Science
One of the most significant adjustments brain injury survivors confront in post-injury life is learning to manage a considerable increase in the amount of free time greeting them each day after returning home from rehabilitation. While previously much of pre-injury...
Bubba Smith and CTE
The phrase "larger than life personality" could have been invented to describe Bubba Smith. Looming at 6’7″ and almost 300 pounds, he was the first pick of the 1967 NFL draft and earned his ring at Superbowl V with the Baltimore Colts. His extraordinary defensive...
But Are You Getting Help?
Following a brain injury, family members will often spend every possible moment dedicated to efforts in support of an injured loved one and devote special attention to helping that survivor get the best care possible. They with rare exception...
A Story About Adjustment and Meaning
I would like to tell a brief story about adjustment and meaning that I often share with our patients at TLC. I believe it highlights many important aspects of healthy post-injury adjustment. Many years ago, TLC had a patient who had suffered a...
Lessons From a Former TLC Patient
Recently, we had a guest speaker in our 4 p.m. Community group. A former TLC patient gave a wonderful presentation to our current patients. The former patient is a stroke survivor who had done well in therapy at TLC and continued to work to...
Visual Scanning Using Menus
Previously, I have discussed the use of circulars and telephone books in scanning exercises for brain injury survivors with left neglect and/or a field cut. Another practical option for scanning exercises can be found in restaurant menus. Almost...
Finding a Silver Lining
Life with a brain injury can generally be a pretty horrible experience. So much of a survivor's daily reality often grows exponentially more difficult and complicated. However, sometimes with proper perspective positive aspects of the...
Post-Traumatic Amnesia
In fairy tales the stricken princess lies still on the bed, oblivious to the world around her. With the prince’s kiss, she suddenly wakes from her stupor and greets the world as if she had just simply been asleep. Unfortunately, returning to life...
Using Unique Characteristics to Help Memory
Following a brain injury many survivors face great struggles in the realm of memory. This can be especially embarrassing when a brain injury survivor has difficulty remembering the name of a person with whom he or she is already well...
Return to Play is Important But Return to Learn is Vital
With a rise in awareness in the world of sports regarding the strikingly prevalent danger of brain injury and its deleterious effects, there has been a corresponding increase in the development of various concussion protocols for returning to active participation...
Who Will Be There When I Am Gone?
Fields related to the treatment of brain injury have improved by leaps and bounds over the last twenty to thirty years. People who have suffered severe traumatic brain injuries are today surviving from injuries that would have once been fatal. Health care...
Give Me Your Best 40%
Good days, bad days. Everyone has them. No one minds the good days, but those bad days can be such headaches. Maybe you didn’t sleep well the previous night. Perhaps your children were sick and were thoughtful enough to pass their germs on...
Oliver Sacks
Neurologist and author Dr. Oliver Sacks passed away this weekend. Dr. Sacks was a skilled clinician who had a special talent for concisely and lucidly bringing the world of neurology to the mainstream through his many books and articles. His writings influenced many...
Four Types of Problems
People are fantastic at finding problems to worry over. We worry about the weather, the economy, our children, our homes and a myriad of other problems. Think about it - news and sports radio are businesses that are essentially built on a 24/7 discussion...
What Is The Goal of Rehabilitation?
A few days ago I was looking through news articles on strokes and ran across a headline stating that the purpose of rehabilitation is to return lost abilities. The first thought that went through my head was “kinda”, as in that is really only “kinda” the...
Purchasing a New Car
Purchasing a new car can be an incredibly challenging and stressful experience. Adding to this potentially unpleasant experience, many brain injury and stroke survivors also need to purchase special modifications (such as a wheelchair lift) to enable their new cars...
Using Stories To Aid In List Memory
The human brain is fascinating for so many reasons. One of these reasons can be seen in the expression of its preference for different styles of memory. The brain generally has a preference for remembering stories as opposed to random lists of...
Attention Process Training
Attention is a foundational skill that lays the groundwork for much of our cognitive functioning. For instance, absent sufficient attention paid to your supervisor’s directions, it is impossible for you to remember and then follow those...
July 4th Fireworks
Every July 4th, Americans across the country light up the sky with fireworks. This patriotic spectacle is commonly enjoyed at large outdoor celebrations, though often fireworks are also set off at private homes. This circumstance brings to the...
When Can I Return To Work?
One of the main roles we fill in life, and subsequently one of the chief ways in which we define our identities, is through our jobs. Work is also incredibly important as it provides the money needed to cover the expenses of daily life. Further it is one of the...
Supporting Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Texas’ Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) is one of the most important funding sources for survivors of brain injury. Many insurance companies will not fund certain rehabilitation services, effectively removing survivors' access to vital...
Walk for Brain Injury
The Brain Injury Association of America-Texas Division will be hosting a Walk for Brain Injury on Saturday, May 2 at Discovery Green in Houston. The Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute is proud to be a sponsor of the Walk. This is a wonderful opportunity to show...
Passover Adaptations-A Brief Guide
Passover is the central family holiday on the Jewish calendar. Jewish families come together to celebrate at the Passover Seder the Exodus of the ancient Israelites from Egypt. Tables are packed with guests and overflow with food as participants read through the...
Tips for Improving Attention
Attention is an important skill. It plays an integral role in almost everything we do. Attention is vital when we engage in daily activities such as paying bills, driving a car and safely walking through a busy parking lot. After a brain...
New Big 12 Concussion Policy
The Big 12 Conference, one of the most important conferences in Division I college athletics, has instituted a new concussion policy. The Big 12 Conference includes college athletics powerhouses such as the University of Texas, the University of Oklahoma and Baylor...
Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is coming in just a few days so this is a good time to talk about a few ways that brain injuries may affect Valentine’s Day for injury survivors and ways in which a brain injury survivor can make his or her Valentine's Day experience a more successful...
Caregiver Burden And the Initial Injury Event
Families of brain injury survivors are often the unsung heroes of the injury experience. They are the individuals who insisted the doctors not give up on their loved ones. They are the individuals who spent the sleepless nights on...
TLC Success Story: Kody Fields
Kody Fields, a talented and athletic young man from North Texas, was involved in a terrible vehicle collision in 2008. Through his hard work and with the help of the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute staff, Kody has been able to attend college. Kody is truly an...
What is Music Therapy?
By Amanda Gilbert MT-BC, CBIS Staff Music Therapist at the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute Many people know of someone in their lives who has received music therapy services, and many have encountered videos or some like representation documenting music therapy...
The Role of Support Groups
Going through life with a brain injury can be a remarkably difficult experience for a brain injury survivor. Life has changed, often in many dramatic ways. Sometimes utilizing the most basic of skills, such as using the restroom or remembering to turn off an oven, can...
New Year’s Disorientation
As 2014 comes to a close and 2015 is upon us, some brain injury survivors may find themselves facing greater than normal levels of disorientation. Often brain injury survivors, particularly those with memory deficits or in the earlier stages...
TLC Success Story: Tony Strueby
Since opening in 1982, the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute has enjoyed many successes with our patients. Tony Strueby is one of those success stories. Tony's traumatic brain injury caused him to suffer significant deficits in speech and mobility which impacted...
NFL Settlement Battle
Lawyers representing the vast majority of National Football League retirees seeking legal recourse due to the deleterious effect upon their lives resulting from brain injuries suffered throughout the course of their careers will be in court on Wednesday to argue over...
Processing Speed
One area of difficulty that many brain injury survivors experience is a decline in processing speed. Processing speed is the length of time it takes for a person to understand, access or utilize information. For instance, if someone asks me which...
NHL Concussion Lawsuit
H0ckey can be a tough sport. Players routinely receive concussions from checks, falls and fights. In fact, many great hockey players have had to retire due to concussions suffered over the course of their careers. Hall of Famers Pat LaFontaine and Scott Stevens are...
Elections
Voting is a fundamental right for all adult American citizens. By Federal law, having a disability such as a brain injury does not alter this right in any election. This includes national, state and local elections. All election polling locations must be accessible...
Post Injury Humor
Many brain injury survivors struggle with humor after their injuries. Survivors who were quite socially skilled prior to their injuries will often find that they now make jokes which are deemed inappropriate or insulting by others, even though...
Fatigue
It is common for brain injury survivors to suffer fatigue more acutely and to enter into states of fatigue more easily after their injuries. For many survivors and their family members, this increase in fatigue comes as a bit of a surprise. Why am I...
Featured in the News!
The Galveston Daily News recently did an in-depth story on Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute therapist Lauren Mitchell’s extensive and tireless work in service of successful community integration of patients at TLC and residents of our sister-facility, Tideway. ...
What Is Neuropsychological Testing?
One of the primary components of any treatment strategy engaged in the aftermath of a brain injury is neuropsychological testing. It also tends to be the least understood of the various post-injury evaluations. This entry will aim to clarify what is,...
English Premier League Concussion Protocol
The English Premier League, one of the top leagues in professional soccer, recently enacted new protocols designed to help manage the effects of concussions suffered by its players. Under the new rules, all players will be given baseline neuropsychological...
NCAA and Brain Injury
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has agreed to pay a $70 million settlement which provides for testing in order to assess whether past and current college athletes have suffered brain injuries throughout the course of their participation in a wide...
Personal Health Devices
Many people depend upon personal health devices such as reading glasses, hearing aides and c-pap machines in their daily lives. Despite full awareness of the important role these devices play, these items are still often left at home by brain...
World Cup Error
As the top athletes in soccer gather to play in the World Cup, we've seen both good decisions and poor decisions made in relation to brain injury and its effects. Let’s start with a remarkably poor decision. During the Uruguay-England match,...
It Takes Awhile
Many brain injury survivors become frustrated with the slow rate at which a brain injury heals. They are used to the comparably more rapid pace seen in the healing of broken bones, cuts and other like injuries. However, it is normal for a serious...
Book Recommendation For Working With Soldiers/Veterans
In recent years, public awareness has been growing of the increasing presence of brain injuries in combat soldiers and veterans. Many doctors and therapists are now working with these soldiers and veterans but often do not fully grasp how this population may...
Medication Safety
Prior to their injuries, many brain injury survivors were in good health. As such, these individuals rarely had to devote significant attention to the taking of medication. After suffering a brain injury though, survivors are often faced with many new health...
Goodbye, Kent
As much as patients learn from their d0ctors and therapists, their doctors and therapists learn from them. Many brain injury survivors have given generously of their time and energy in order to help further research and understanding of brain injuries. Kent...
A Brief Note on Wheelchair Etiquette
Due to the necessary and intimate often long-term dependence upon it, a brain injury survivor’s wheelchair should in all fairness be considered as having a special privacy attached to it. A wheelchair can often grow to be experienced as an extension of the survivor’s...
Exciting Research
As one of the leaders in post-acute brain injury research, the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute is always looking to push the current boundaries of treatment. A new area of research in the field of brain injury relates to the use of repeated transcranial magnetic...
Returning To College
It is common for patients at the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute to have suffered their injuries while attending college. Understandably, it's just as common for those patients to have chief among their goals a return to that endeavor. It is always a good idea...
Interview with Dr. Masel
The Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute’s Medical Director Dr. Brent Masel is a true veteran in the field of brain injury treatment and rehabilitation. As an expert in this field, he is called upon to testify before government entities and has been interviewed...
Hot Off the Press
Vital to the core mission of the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute is the conducting of research designed to enhance understanding of and improve treatment strategies for brain injury. The result of this research finds its home in publication in a wide range of top...
Congratulations Dr. Masel!
Dr. Brent Masel, President and Medical Director of the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute, earlier this year was awarded the Sheldon Berrol M.D. Clinical Service Award from the Brain Injury Association of America. This award honors distinguished contributions...
Frankie Muniz and Stroke Symptoms
Former Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz recently announced on twitter that he had suffered a second “mini-stroke” not even a full year after he'd endured his first. Though Muniz is only 27 years old, the staff at TLC have treated individuals who have...
What Is a “Flat Affect?”
There are so many terms that family and friends of brain injury survivors are exposed to that are simply not part of our day to day vocabulary. Learning to understand all these new terms while attempting to cope with an already trying...
Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett was one of the greatest players in football history. Over the years he began to experience memory loss, mood swings and thoughts of suicide. He took the initiative to be tested for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which is a brain damage...
Jackie Chan is a Survivor
Jackie Chan has had a long and successful career acting in action and comedy movies. His movies involve elaborate stunts and fight scenes. Unlike other actors and actresses, Jackie does not like to use stuntmen in his place. His insistence on doing his own stunts...
Roles
Perhaps the most emotionally difficult parts of the brain injury recovery process stem from the losses of and changes to life roles due to the injury. For instance, a man who is used to being the breadwinner may now be in need of financial...
Visual and Verbal Memory
Most information that we try to remember usually comes through only two of our five senses, vision and hearing. Interestingly, the memories we make for this information is generally stored in two separate parts of our brain. We tend to store verbal...
Experience
Many families come to the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute quite scared, as they often will have had no significant personal experience with anything notably similar to the brain injury their loved one has suffered. It is a new and terrifying time with lots...
NFL Brain Injury Settlement
The National Football League (NFL) has recently settled a lawsuit brought on by over 4500 former players and their families for brain injuries those players suffered on the playing field. The NFL agreed to pay $765 million which will go towards medical expenses,...
All In
Often, a brain injury survivor needs to make significant lifestyle changes following his or her injury. This may include eating healthier, engaging in daily exercise or making a sustained commitment to sobriety. These lifestyle changes can be...
Zero G Dynamic Body Weight Support System
James Walrath, SPT Physical Therapy Intern During my time at TLC I have had numerous opportunities to use an exciting and unique piece of equipment; the Zero G dynamic body weight support system by Aretech, LLC. The Zero G is an electronically controlled winch...
Community Integration Experience
An integral part of the mission here at the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute has always been facilitating brain injury survivors' return to the greater community. In today's post, we go to TLC's Community Integration Specialist Lauren Mitchell (CTRS, CBIS)...
Emergency Preparedness Post-Injury – Shelter/Housing Issues
This post is the second in a series on the unique challenges encountered when addressing emergency preparedness following a brain injury. There are many possible issues following a brain injury that can arise regarding shelter/housing. Below is a list of...
What Is Post-Acute Brain Injury Rehabilitation?
There are essentially three steps in the brain injury recovery process. The first step is the initial hospitalization period in which the primary focus is on saving the life of the brain injury victim and managing acute medical issues...
Congratulations Dr. Jennie Ponsford!
The Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute would like to congratulate Dr. Jennie Ponsford of Monash University (Australia) on being awarded the Robert L. Moody Prize for Distinguished Initiatives in Brain Injury Research and Rehabilitation! Dr. Ponsford’s research...
Anosognosia – Part II
In Part I of this series I gave an introduction to anosognosia, a lack of awareness experienced regarding deficits which occur following a brain injury (http://tlcrehab.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/anosognosia-part-i/). This lack of sufficient awareness of...
Galveston Brain Injury Conference
This week, the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute and the University of Texas Medical Branch have the pleasure of co-hosting the Galveston Brain Injury Conference (GBIC). GBIC is a unique invite-only conference focusing each year on a single specific...
Anosognosia – Part I
Anosognosia is a scientific term meaning “lack of self-awareness.” Many brain injury survivors suffer some form of anosognosia after their injuries. Anosognosia will often find expression in a survivor's inability to...
Who Needs To Know
Brain injuries do not solely affect the brain injury survivor but will also impact the survivor’s family life, circle of friends and workplace environment. Moreover, post-injury changes may influence areas of life as diverse...
You Should Remember
“You should remember. I told you this an hour ago!” “You should remember. We've been talking about this for the past week!” When a family member or friend speaks in this manner to a brain injury survivor, it is often a sign of...
Harry Carson Is a Survivor
New York Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson was one of the most feared football players of his era. However, behind that tough exterior he was terrified of the symptoms of brain injury which he experienced following many concussions on the playing field....
Can I Drive Yet?
One of the most common questions a patient will ask the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute staff is when that patient will be able to resume driving. This is an understandable concern as most Americans use their cars as their primary means of...
Paying For Treatment
Engaging in rehabilitation can be a costly enterprise. Often, insurance will not pay for rehabilitation or will provide only limited funding for such treatment. This puts significant pressure on a brain injury survivor’s family to try to find a way to arrange...
Larry Miller is a Survivor
Actor Larry Miller has had a long and successful career in showbiz, appearing in notable television series and movies such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Princess Dairies and The Nutty Professor. In April of 2012 he slipped and hit his head...
New Year’s and Brain Injury
New Year’s Eve is generally celebrated with laughter, noise and merriment. However, there are a few pitfalls that brain injury survivors may encounter during these celebrations that they will want to watch out for. It is typical to serve...
Kevin Sorbo Is a Survivor
Actor Kevin Sorbo was viewed as a pillar of strength as he played the title character in the television series Hercules. Few people know that during the same period that Sorbo was playing Hercules, in his private life he was battling to manage the fallout of three...
Focusing on the Positive – Part 2
Brain injury survivor Michael Segal often tells a funny story about his injury. As a teenager, Michael Segal had been shot in the head. Years later, he was married and had a daughter. One day he took his young daughter to a local amusement park. They waited on the...
Frankie Muniz
We usually associate having a stroke as a medical condition of older age. However, it is possible for a younger person to have a stroke. Frankie Muniz, the 26 year-old actor best known for starring in the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, suffered a stroke this past...
Focusing on the Positive – Part 1
All people are inherently programmed to notice and immediately form lasting and indelible memories from having negative experiences more so than they will from having positive experiences. For instance, if someone cuts you off in traffic, you are more likely to...
Sharon Stone Is a Survivor
Having a brain injury is often a very lonely experience. Brain injury survivors may ask themselves, "Who else besides me has also gone through this?" The fact is that many people have survived brain injuries, including some well known celebrities. Actress Sharon...
Helmet Safety
As a therapist at a post-acute brain injury treatment facility, I often find myself cringing when driving down the highway. I see so many motorcyclists without helmets and it brings to mind the many patients at our facility who were injured in motorcycle accidents...
Setting Goals
When I first meet with brain-injured patients, I ask them to tell me about their goals. In most cases, the patients will tell me about goals involving work and home. These goals have to do with the long term, future hopes of the patient. These goals make fine...
Smoking and Strokes
There are many reasons to stop smoking, but new research from South Korea adds one more. A recent study conducted there focused on people with and without aneurysms. An aneurysm is a form of stroke in which a blood vessel explodes in the brain, causing significant...
Where Is It?
Brain injuries can be complex because different parts of the brain control different functions. Learning which part of the brain controls which function can be quite confusing. The Center of Excellence for Medical Multimedia, a program from the Office of the Air...
Please. Don’t. Help.
Perhaps the hardest part of the rehabilitation process for family members is watching their loved one struggle. It is often painful and heartbreaking. You see your son working so hard trying to operate his wheelchair and your first instinct is to run over...
NFL and Brain Injury
Somewhat quietly, the NFL is facing a monstrously large lawsuit. Thousands of former NFL players are suing the league, claiming that the NFL hid information showing that the concussions suffered while playing football can lead to permanent brain injuries. ...
Brain Injury as a Chronic Disease
There is a movement in the Brain Injury community to change the popular conceptualization of brain injuries. Rather than a brain injury being viewed as a one-time event, this movement puts forth the assertion that it should be understood as a chronic disease. The...
Confabulation Vs. Lies
Every so often a patient's family will report to the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute that since the patient's injury, the patient makes up false stories all of the time. They state that they correct the patient but that the patient will argue and insist that...
Handwriting Help
After a brain injury, many survivors experience a decline in handwriting skills. This may be due to an inability to use a dominant hand or a newly acquired general deficit in motor coordination. However, with practice handwriting can be improved. One of the best...
Recommended Reading:Where Is the Mango Princess?
There are a limited number of books on traumatic brain injuries, particularly those written from perspective of the family's experience. Moreover, many of the books written by brain injury survivors or their families are often not great reading. Cathy...
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
There is an increasing awareness that mild traumatic brain injuries can lead to permanent deficits in functioning. This is especially true if a person had multiple mild traumatic brain injuries such as one would receive getting repeatedly tackled in football or by...
Project Victory
Many experts believe that the hallmark injury of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is traumatic brain injury. In fact, the Department of Defense and the Veteran's Brain Injury Center estimated that 22% of all injuries received by soldiers during the recent wars...
Know Your Rights
Many individuals with serious brain injuries suffer from permanent declines in their skills. Despite these deficits, some of these individuals do have the ability to return to work. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects individuals with permanent brain...
What Is a Brain Injury?
At its most basic level, a brain injury is a change in how the brain functions due to an external event (like a car accident) or due to an internal medical event (often times a stroke). As you can tell, this definition is pretty broad. This is because a...
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