Sherrie All – Clinical Action for Dementia, TBI, Concussion, Stroke and Other Cognitive Declines: Assessment and Treatment Techniques for Cognitive Rehabilitation and Neuroplasticity

Outline

THE FRAMEWORK AND SCIENCE OF COGNITIVE REHABILITATION: NOT ALL BRAIN GAMES ARE REHABILITATION

• Brain plasticity and the latest research
• Associated brain regions and functions
• Compensatory vs. restorative strategies
• Cognitive stimulation, cognitive training and cognitive rehabilitation

ASSESSMENT APPROACHES FOR COGNITIVE DECLINE

• What the MOCA and SLUMS are telling you and not telling you
• When to refer for a full neuropsychological assessment
• Make the most of assessment results including neuropsychology reports
• Static (TBI / stroke) vs. progressive decline (Alzheimer’s disease): Set and maintain realistic treatment goals
• Taking care to not “over-pathologize” concussions: Know the difference between concussion, TBI, CTE and dementia
• The use of mood and personality measures

INTERVENTION APPROACHES FOR BARRIERS TO REHABILITATION: MOOD, MOTIVATION & ANXIETY

• Motivational interviewing to cultivate engagement and brain health interventions
• Treat anxiety and false beliefs to improve cognition
• Adjustment to illness and grief: Counseling the brain impaired patient

THE COGNITIVE DECLINE TOOLBOX: REAL WORLD TREATMENT STRATEGIES FOR EACH COGNITIVE DOMAIN

ATTENTION & WORKING MEMORY

• The neural bases of attention impairment
• Help clients understand working memory capacity as a means of improving metacognition
• Improve attention and reduce errors by following the DIRECT model and using PEAS & LEAP
• “Focused drilling” to expand working memory capacity and generalizing to other outcomes
• Mindfulness training to help clients shape attention and improve focus

MEMORY: PROSPECTIVE, ENCODING & RECALL

• The neural bases of memory impairment
• Frontiers in Alzheimer’s disease management
• Tailor memory training interventions to level of severity & motivation
• Effective use of calendars and other external memory aids for effective daily functioning
• Elaborative encoding techniques using visualization, linking and chunking
• Memory aids in traditional psychotherapy treatments
• Strategies for effective recall of learned information

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION

• The neural bases of executive function impairment
• Stroke and cerebrovascular disease
• Improve planning for greater goal attainment with the use of a reverse timeline worksheet
• Expand flexible thinking with 6-step problem solving
• The neural basis of stress management and emotion regulation

VISUOSPATIAL & LANGUAGE

• The neural bases of visual and language impairment
• Useful Field of View Training (UFOV) for driving independence
• The “language wallet” for independence among people with aphasia
• Supported conversation and script training for aphasia

HOLISTIC BRAIN HEALTH INTERVENTIONS

• Shape the brain’s destiny: Cognitive reserve to build resistance and resilience to cognitive decline
• The impact of socialization on brain health and recovery
• Psychotherapy’s impact on brain health
• Effective cognitive stimulation: The truth about brain games & crosswords
• Teach clients how their brain works through metacognition intervention

RESEARCH, LIMITATIONS AND RISKS