Last October 26th was celebrated the International Day of Acquired Brain Injury. A date full of activities by different entities to draw attention and raise awareness in society in general of the importance of this pathology of which there are 420,000 cases in Spain and it is estimated that there are 150 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year.

Acquired Brain Injury is an injury that occurs in brain structures due to different causes such as stroke, tumors, traumatic brain injury, encephalitis, etc. and is accompanied by a wide variety of sequelae depending on the degree of injury and the affected area. These sequelae can range from minor difficulties in concentration or planning activities to a great dependence on third parties.

The sequelae that may appear in different degrees are physical, with loss of sensory or motor skills; cognitive, with language and thought disorders, as well as emotional and behavioral alterations. Each and every one of them has an impact on the person’s abilities to carry out activities of daily living, relate to others, develop personal, professional and leisure activities and therefore have a significant impact on their quality of life.

For this reason, comprehensive rehabilitation carried out by a multidisciplinary team coordinated in a Rehabilitation Unit composed of physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, neuropsychologists and speech therapists is essential. This intervention should be early, starting in the hospital phase and continuing in the subacute phase to achieve the patient’s maximum functional and social capacity and his or her socio-familial and/or occupational reintegration, as far as possible.

The ultimate goal of this rehabilitation should be to improve the quality of life of the patient and his family. Therefore, the intervention objectives of the team should be oriented both to the specific rehabilitation of the different physical, cognitive and emotional deficits of the patient, as well as to the training, counseling and support of the family members. In this sense, it is very important that they know and understand the different deficits of their family member, motor, emotional or behavioral management guidelines as well as an accompaniment in the elaboration and assumption of the changes that occur within the family to restore a rebalance and promote a readjustment to the new situation.

In the Neurology Service we have a multidisciplinary team that ensures that the problems are addressed in an integrated, coordinated, personalized and continuous way. If you would like to receive information, please contact us.

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Susana Gómez Rojo

Susana Gómez Rojo, Neuropsychologist specialized in neurorehabilitation and member of the Neurorehabilitation Unit team.[/toggle_item]