Cognitive rehabilitation

Although the research is limited and the techniques relatively new, some hope exists that drug-induced thinking problems may be treated by what some have called cognitive rehabilitation. Many of these techniques were developed to help victims of strokes and other brain injuries improve and recover brain functions more rapidly than they would if they were left untreated. Some of these techniques arise from the philosophy that if you exercise it, you will not lose it, meaning exercising brain functions in this instance. 

In summary, antipsychotic drugs have a significant impact on the acute resolution and the maintenance of remission of symptoms of schizophrenia, enabling focus on rehabilitation efforts directed at residual cognitive, social, and occupational disabilities. The... 

The subject of intense research, nitrocytoprotectors (piracetam, gingko biloba, almitrine/raubasine) are searching for their role in acute phase treatment. In certain countries, available drugs have been used in the functional rehabilitation phase (cognitive benefit). BN 80933 is an anti-free radical and anti-NO synthetase molecule which appears to have a powerful curative effect in animals. 

Schizophrenic adolescents who are characterized by deficits in cognitive functioning, subjective complaints, and psychopathological symptoms do profit from a structured 1-year rehabilitation program. Most of these deficiencies improved considerably. 

In addition to adequate pharmacotherapy, specific forms of psychotherapy may also be indicated. These may include cognitive or interpersonal psychotherapy or various behavior desensitization and biofeedback techniques. Some patients may benefit from insight-oriented psychotherapy group, family, or marital counseling or both. Finally, in more chronic disorders, patients often benefit from vocational rehabilitation. A knowledgeable clinician realizes that these disorders do not occur in a vacuum, and, regardless of diagnosis, each patient requires an individualized treatment plan to optimize outcome. 

Aggressive psychosociai therapies (e.g., family therapy, group therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and various rehabilitation programs)... 

It has generally been assumed by alcoholism treatment personnel in most industrialized countries that the disease-labeling process and the alcoholic s concomitant acceptance of the "sick" role would facilitate treatment and potentiate the chances of rehabilitation. Some writers... however, question the utility of indiscriminate application of the disease label, not only because it may not be appropriate for all varieties of alcohol-related problems, but also because it may influence the very behavior it attempts to describe. This could come about... by altering the cognitive expectancies held by alcoholics and by those in their immediate social environment, such that the drinker no longer is seen as responsible for his or her behavior. In this view, loss of control over drinking may result more from learned expectations than from physical predispositions, and chronic alcoholism more from a dependency role than from physiological dependence. 

A systematic review of observational studies of post-stroke depression produced an estimated overall prevalence of 33% among all stroke survivors (Hackett et al. 2005). Predictors of depression include severity of stroke and cognitive impairment (Hackett and Andersen 2005). It has been postulated that left-sided brain lesions are more likely to cause depression, but this remains unproven (Bhogal et al. 2004). Mood disorder may impede rehabilitation and contribute to disability and handicap but usually improves with time. Treatment includes support and counseling and antidepressants. 

Supportive/counseling Personal therapy Social skills therapies Vocational sheltered employment rehabilitation therapies Interactive/social Cognitive behavioral therapy Compliance therapy... 

Robert J. Ferguson, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist at the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine, and an adjunct assistant professor of psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School. He developed Memory and Attention Adaptation Training (MAAT) to help cancer survivors deal with cognitive decline after chemotherapy. Here are two of his more general tips. 

Cancer—Chemotherapy—Complications. 2. Cognitive disorders. 3. Cancer— Patients—Rehabilitation. I. Davidson, Idelle. II. Title. 

Personnel selection and job fitness Cognitive task analysis yields a specification of information-processing resources (e.g., speed, accuracy) required for task performance. This specification can be used in combination with measurements of the available resources an individual possesses. Assessing performance resource sufficiency provides a basis for selecting personnel and determining if injured, rehabilitated personnel are sufficiently recovered to safely return to work. 

Section 508, an amendment of the Rehabilitation Act, legislates requirements for U.S. Federal agencies to make electronic and information systems accessible to people with disabilities. The legislation covers the accessibility of a wide array of hardware and software products and systems by people with sensory-motor and cognitive disabilities. 

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