Rehabilitation for brain injuries can be quite difficult, yet it is possible for the brain to regenerate itself. A car accident brain injury can be debilitating, yet certain steps can be taken to heal after the event. As discovered in scientific research, the brain can be remodeled after nerve damage occurs in the brain through certain processes. Both physiotherapy and pharmacotherapy can help to fix neuropathways and help fix brain injuries.
Neuroplasticity
A car accident brain injury can damage nerve pathways and change the way the brain functions entirely. An integral part of rehabilitation is fixing the synaptic pathways and trying to re-route the brain so that it can function again. Neuroplasticity is a relatively new avenue of research that is helping rehabilitative efforts and increasing an understanding of the plasticity of the brain. The brain can regenerate itself through rebuilding neuropathways that have been damaged, degraded, or broken through certain physical exercises and medications.
Neuroplasticity includes synaptic plasticity, which is when certain neuropathways degenerate over time, and is not commonly symptomatic of a car accident brain injury. Instead, non-synaptic plasticity, which is the result of broken neuropathways due to serious brain damage, is a common side effect of a brain injury from an accident.
Physiotherapeutic and Pharmacotherapeutic Methods
Constraint-induced movement therapy (CI therapy) is a form of physiotherapy that helps to repair damaged synapse pathways in two ways. Repetitive exercises, which cause the brain to start re-building relevant processes that manage your movements, help non-synaptic plasticity from a car accident brain injury. Pushing the boundaries physically also helps to regenerate damaged cells. This indicates that physical movements in stimulating environments can push the brain to create new neural pathways to accomplish these tasks and help with rehabilitation.
Pharmacotherapy is an additional aid in rehabilitation efforts for brain damage. Certain amphetamines help to rebuild neural pathways and increase the productivity of neuroplasticity. Particular medications such as amphetamines facilitate neural sprouting, the regrowth of undamaged neurons that will then build new neural pathways in the brain to replace damaged areas. When a car accident brain injury occurs, bundles of neurons become damaged. As a response, the axons and dendrites of neurons which are the beginning and end of neuron synapses sprout and regenerate in unaffected areas to attempt the recovery of brain processes. With a combination of medications that help neural sprouting and exercises that help rebuild synapse pathways, it is possible for the brain to regenerate and regain certain abilities after brain damage.
Resources in the GTA
Toronto provides several resources that can begin the process for people that suffer from brain injury and need rehabilitation. The Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI) provides countless resources to connect patients and families to useful resources for appropriate aid for brain injuries. Resources offered at TRI include an inpatient clinic for physiotherapy and pharmacotherapy. An outpatient clinic is also offered for patients with high functioning brain injuries. TRI also offers Together in Movement and Exercise (TIME), an exercise program for patients with brain injuries. It is a group fitness class tailored to increasing mobility in patients in a safe and stimulating environment. Overall, a car accident brain injury is life-changing, but there is hope for rehabilitative efforts in many ways.
Sources
http://www.sanra.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ADAPTIVE-PLASTICITY-IN-MOTOR-CORTEX-IMPLICATIONS-FOR-BRAIN-INJURY.pdf
http://www.whatisneuroplasticity.com/
http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/26/11/2135.full
http://www.uhn.ca/TorontoRehab/PatientsFamilies/Clinics_Tests/TIME