| After a serious accident that involves trauma to the | | | | that may distract focus from the training. |
| brain, it is often necessary for a patient to undergo | | | | Computers cannot do it all, however, and cognitive |
| cognitive skills retraining. This is a therapeutic process | | | | retraining requires the work of a psychiatrist or |
| with the goal of improving memory, attention span, | | | | psychologist and often a speech therapist. It is best |
| organization, problem solving and decision making skills. | | | | for retraining to take place in a quiet space where |
| In some cases, the goal of the retraining will be a | | | | the subject is comfortable and not distracted. Being |
| complete recovery while in other more severe | | | | calm is important for cognitive skills to function |
| instances the goal will be more modest, perhaps just | | | | properly and doubly important when they are being |
| to return the person to a functional state and | | | | learned. For a patient who is severely emotionally |
| improve their quality of life. | | | | scarred as well as physically hurt, it may not be |
| Cognitive skills retraining programs must be individually | | | | possible to start cognitive skills retraining right away. |
| designed to address the patient's shortcomings. It | | | | Once they are in a less volatile state, retraining can |
| must be undertaken in stages as they progress | | | | begin, but it may still require large amounts of |
| towards recovery. The results of each stage will | | | | patience. |
| indicate how far the training can be taken and how | | | | There are a large variety of tools that can be used |
| complete the recovery will be. As with all forms of | | | | to cognitive skills retraining. Memory retraining requires |
| cognitive training, it is important that it is done in a | | | | teaching the patient pneumonic devices and other |
| way that the patient will be able to transfer newly | | | | strategies, like rhyming, that can be used to aid |
| relearned skills from the clinical setting back to their | | | | memory. Many of the techniques that are taught are |
| home. Improvements and positive results are only | | | | things that healthy brains do without us being totally |
| worthwhile if they can be repeated in a real world | | | | conscious of it. Along with memory training, patients |
| setting. | | | | will be given tasks that require them to pay attention |
| One of the basic keys to retraining is repetition. | | | | and avoid distractions. This skill can be practiced in |
| Relearning a skill by doing it again and again is the only | | | | conjunction with others like reasoning and problem |
| way for it to become automatic. For many skills, | | | | solving. For these skills games can be employed that |
| computer programs can be a very helpful part of the | | | | progressively push the patient to think through a |
| process and are increasingly used in cognitive skill | | | | problem. The final stage of the retraining is working |
| retraining. The use of computer programs can also | | | | on decision making skills where the other skills that |
| allow a patient to work on improving their skills on | | | | have been relearned are used to solve real world |
| their own schedule. This is important because | | | | type problems. The patient's progress with this skill |
| traumatic brain injuries are often accompanied with a | | | | will provide an indicator of their progress. |
| host of other physical and psychological problems | | | | |