THE FRAMEWORK AND SCIENCE OF COGNITIVE REHABILITATION: NOT ALL BRAIN GAMES ARE REHABILITATION
- Brain plasticity and the latest research
- Associated brain regions and functions
- Compensatory vs. restorative strategies
- Cognitive stimulation, cognitive training and cognitive rehabilitation
ASSESSMENT APPROACHES FOR COGNITIVE DECLINE
- What the MOCA and SLUMS are telling you and not telling you
- When to refer for a full neuropsychological assessment
- Make the most of assessment results including neuropsychology reports
- Static (TBI / stroke) vs. progressive decline (Alzheimer’s disease): Set and maintain realistic treatment goals
- Taking care to not “over-pathologize” concussions: Know the difference between concussion, TBI, CTE and dementia
- The use of mood and personality measures
INTERVENTION APPROACHES FOR BARRIERS TO REHABILITATION: MOOD, MOTIVATION & ANXIETY
- Motivational interviewing to cultivate engagement and brain health interventions
- Treat anxiety and false beliefs to improve cognition
- Adjustment to illness and grief: Counseling the brain impaired patient
THE COGNITIVE DECLINE TOOLBOX:
Real World Treatment Strategies for Each Cognitive Domain
ATTENTION & WORKING MEMORY
- The neural bases of attention impairment
- Help clients understand working memory capacity as a means of improving metacognition
- Improve attention and reduce errors by following the DIRECT model and using PEAS & LEAP
- “Focused drilling” to expand working memory capacity and generalizing to other outcomes
- Mindfulness training to help clients shape attention and improve focus
MEMORY: PROSPECTIVE, ENCODING & RECALL
- The neural bases of memory impairment
- Frontiers in Alzheimer’s disease management
- Tailor memory training interventions to level of severity & motivation
- Effective use of calendars and other external memory aids for effective daily functioning
- Elaborative encoding techniques using visualization, linking and chunking
- Memory aids in traditional psychotherapy treatments
- Strategies for effective recall of learned information
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
- The neural bases of executive function impairment
- Stroke and cerebrovascular disease
- Improve planning for greater goal attainment with the use of a reverse timeline worksheet
- Expand flexible thinking with 6-step problem solving
- The neural basis of stress management and emotion regulation
VISUOSPATIAL & LANGUAGE
- The neural bases of visual and language impairment
- Useful Field of View Training (UFOV) for driving independence
- The “language wallet” for independence among people with aphasia
- Supported conversation and script training for aphasia
HOLISTIC BRAIN HEALTH INTERVENTIONS
- Shape the brain’s destiny: Cognitive reserve to build resistance and resilience to cognitive decline
- The impact of socialization on brain health and recovery
- Psychotherapy’s impact on brain health
- Effective cognitive stimulation: The truth about brain games & crosswords
- Teach clients how their brain works through metacognition intervention
RESEARCH, LIMITATIONS AND RISKS


