Research on Memory After TBI Elaine Phillips, BrainLine

My daughter still has significant memory problems even seven years after her TBI, which get in the way in her day-to-day life. Has any research been done on the best ways to help improve memory?

The good and bad news is that your daughter is not alone. As you probably know, memory problems are one of the most common issues reported after brain injury and can result in a host of everyday challenges such as remembering appointments, following through with promises, and having difficulty learning new material on the job or in school.

It's important to understand — although this can be painful — that we cannot "fix" a person's memory. What we can do is help her learn to focus on the information she is trying to recall and also help her organize that information to make it easier to remember.

To start, research tells us that people are more independent and successful in their recovery when they identify their own problems and are motivated to seek solutions. After all, we all know that to be successful using a Blackberry or DayTimer, we have to develop the good habits of entering or writing down the information and then remembering to look at it!

Studies have shown that for people with milder memory impairments, using specific memorization strategies can help reduce everyday memory failures. These strategies can include:

• Rehearsal — For example, repeating a phone number over and over
• Association — Linking up new information with something familiar. For example, "I have an aunt named Jane, too."
• Visual imagery — Elaborating or focusing on the visual characteristics of what you're trying to remember. For example, if you've forgotten your grocery list, you could make a mental picture of your pantry to recall what's needed at the store, say, the coffee canister is low, the cereal box is gone, and there aren't very many cans of soup left on that shelf.

For people with moderate or more severe memory impairments, external aids such as a written to-do list or a personal digital assistant (PDA) are most effective. Devices can be programmed either by the person with brain injury or by a significant other, if needed. Everyday technology such as cell phones or pagers can be used to remind people to take medications, attend a meeting, or get directions home. The devices can be programmed to vibrate or beep at a pre-set time. When the person looks at or clicks the device, the reminder can be given in writing (like a text message) or spoken out loud (on certain devices).

More and more research is showing that everyday technology like cell phones, Global Positioning Systems (GPSs), and PDAs can be beneficial for people with brain injury. If you haven't already, you might suggest to your daughter that she see a professional who specializes in cognitive rehabilitation. This kind of specialist will be able to help her identify and implement strategies to help with her memory issues.

Reference List
Depompei R, Gillette Y, Goetz E, Xenopoulos-Oddsson A, Bryen D, and Dowds M. (2008). "Practical applications for use of PDAs and smartphones with children and adolescents who have traumatic brain injury." Neurorehabilitation 23, no. 6: 487-499.

Cicerone KD, Dahlberg C, Malec JF, Langenbahn DM, Felicetti T, Kneipp S, Ellmo W, Kalmar K, Giacino JT, Harley JP, Laatsch L, Morse PA, Catanese J "Evidence-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation: Updated Review of the Literature From 1998 Through 2002." (2005). Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Vol. 86, Issue 8, Pages 1681-1692)

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Elaine Phillips, MSP, CCC-SLP, has 17 years of experience in the field of brain injury, both as a speech-language pathologist as well as managing the outpatient brain injury rehabilitation program at Roger C Peace Rehabilitation Hospital in Greenville, SC. In addition, she is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist-Trainer and is Board President of the Brain Injury Alliance of South Carolina. Elaine is the research consultant for the BrainLine project.

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