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Strategies for Improving Memory After Brain Injury

Janet Brown

Ask the Expert: Strategies for Improving Memory After Brain Injury
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  • video content icon Transcript of this video. Welcome to the first in a series of webcasts on traumatic brain injury, hosted by Doris McMillon. Concussion: Understanding Mild Traumatic Brain Injury will help you understand what a concussion is and what to expect during recovery. We are pleased to feature the following distinguished guests:
    • Dr. Jim Kelly, Professor of Neurosurgery and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine
    • Dr. Aditya Bhagwat, Clinical Neuropsychologist from Walter Reed Army Medical Center
    • Lesley LeMasurier, a college senior at the University of Colorado who was training with the United States Ski Team until the toll of cumulative mild TBIs ended her ski career

    Panelist Bios

    James P. Kelly, MA, MD, FAANJames P. Kelly, MA, MD, FAAN
    Dr. Kelly is Professor of Neurosurgery and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and Associate Director of the Colorado Area Health Education Center System. He graduated cum laude with a BA from Western Michigan University, with a major in Psychology and minor in Chemistry before obtaining his MA, also at WMU, in Clinical Psychology. He earned his medical degree from Northwestern University. Kelly specializes in all aspects of traumatic brain injury research and clinical care. His scientific publications and editorials have appeared in numerous medical journals, and he is invited to speak on a variety of neurological topics across the United States and abroad. Among countless other affiliations, positions, and publications, he was lead author of the Colorado and American Academy of Neurology Guidelines for the Management of Sports Concussion, and a co-author of the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC), which is the most widely used sideline mental status test in sports. Dr. Kelly is a member of the Colorado State Boxing Commission and is the consulting neurologist to the National Hockey League Players Association, to the Aspen Skiing Company, and to the US Department of Defense for blast injury and concussion. He is Chairman of the Defense Health Board's Traumatic Brain Injury External Advisory Subcommittee for military clinical care, research, and education. He maintains an active outpatient and inpatient practice at the University of Colorado Hospital. Aditya A. Bhagwat, PhD, ABPP-CNAditya A. Bhagwat, PhD, ABPP-CN
    Dr. Bhagwat is a board certified Clinical Neuropsychologist currently working in the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. He completed his undergraduate studies in Psychology at McGill University, his doctoral work in Counseling Psychology at The Ohio State University, and a postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology through the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Bhagwat served as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force for seven years before joining the DVBIC, where he is privileged to be able to continue serving military service members who have suffered brain injuries. Aditya A. Bhagwat, PhD, ABPP-CNLesley LeMasurier
    A senior at University of Colorado at Boulder (CU), Lesley LeMasurier grew up skiing in Virginia until age twelve, when she moved north to attend Burke Mountain Academy, a ski racing school in Vermont. In the spring of 2003, she earned a spot on the United States Alpine Development Ski Team. Over the course of the two years (2001 – 2003) prior to joining the US Team, she suffered four concussions, and began struggling with poor balance, coordination, and strength on the left side of her body. She also began suffering from migraines and insomnia. Despite these symptoms, she accepted the spot on the team. But after many crashes resulting in a fifth concussion, a broken right leg, and torn ligaments in her left knee in early 2005, she left the development team to focus on her health. An English major with a minor in Ethnic Studies, she is also a member of the CU Varsity Ski Team, but given her history of mild TBI, she is medically ineligible to compete. However, she continues her relationship with athletics by assisting with ski team training sessions, mentoring freshman student-athletes in the athletic department at CU, and serving as a board member and the athlete representative for the Shelley Glover Ski Education Foundation. She plans to pursue an MFA in writing upon completion of her undergraduate studies. About BrainLine Webcasts We've launched BrainLine's webcast series to keep you informed — on an ongoing basis — about preventing, treating, and living with traumatic brain injury. Listen, watch, and learn from top experts in the field — from neurosurgeons and speech pathologists to long-time caregivers and individuals living with TBI.     Concussion: Understanding Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
  • video content icon This documentary work-in-progress shares poignant stories of people with TBI — from a victim of a road-rage beating to a Marine infantryman returning home wounded from Iraq. From David L. Brown Productions and Epic Way Sports. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Going the Distance is a 26-minute work-in-progress. Learn more about the project and the final documentary: http://www.goingthedistance.info Transcript of this video. Going the Distance
  • video content iconFrom Brain Injury Dialogues, ©2008. Written and directed by Lyell Davies and Rick Franklin. Used with permission. All rights reserved. http://www.braininjurydialogues.org Transcript of this video. Brain Injury Dialogues: Rehabilitation
 

I have a brain injury. When I’m tired or stressed it seems like my memory suffers. Will this get better with time?

 

The brain can’t store information in its memory efficiently when it’s tired or stressed. So when you’re too tired to focus your attention, your memory is likely to suffer as well. As your brain heals, you may have more energy and be able to pay attention for longer amounts of time. This, in turn, will help your memory. But, you can also use other strategies to help you remember. Here are some ideas:

  • Reduce stress and stay well rested. Take breaks when you need them.
  • Know your limits. When you feel you can’t absorb any more information, take a break or have someone else write it down for you.
  • Consider using a cell phone or PDA (personal digital assistant) to send yourself reminders, remember directions, or keep appointments.
  • Work with a professional (such as a speech-language pathologist) to learn to organize information so it’s easier to remember.
  • Carry a calendar or notebook to keep important information in one place.

 

Click here to go to About Ask the Expert.

Janet Brown, MA, CCC-SLP Janet Brown, MA, CCC-SLP is a certified speech-language pathologist who spent twenty years in practice at the Veterans Administration Medical Center and at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC. She is the current director of Health Care Services at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

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