A brain injury can have profound effects on the way a person is able to think, learn and remember. The nature and severity of these cognitive effects will depend on what parts of the brain have been injured and how serious the damage is. Some people will only experience mild impairment while others can be left with life-changing consequences and require lifelong support.

The following are some of the main cognitive functions that can be impaired due to a brain injury:

Memory

One of the most common effects of a brain injury, and perhaps the one most people are aware of, is the impact it can have on a person’s memory. In particular, many people suffer issues with their short-term memory, including often not remembering the events leading up to their injury. Problems with ‘working memory’ are also frequently an issue, which can cause issues such as difficulty recalling what has just been said. If this is something you are particularly interested in learning more about, this article about Encoding Specificity: Memory’s Pathways, will help you to understand more about how memory works, and it also provides a few tips on how you can improve your own learning and memory skills.

Language

Communication is also commonly affected, including both written and spoken language. People with a brain injury will often have difficulty understanding things they have read or that are said to them, as well as trouble expressing themselves, such as struggling to think of the right words when they want to say something.

Visual perception

This can include issues such as not being able to identify everyday objects and problems navigating even familiar locations, as well as inability to recognise people’s faces (sometimes referred to as ‘face blindness’).

Some people will have difficulty with only half of their field of vision, so may only be able to take in visual information from one side. This can cause issues so as people only shaving one half of their face or ignoring hazards on their ‘blind’ side.

Information processing & reasoning

People with a brain injury may have difficulty taking on board information and mentally organising it, as well as difficulty thinking problems through, interpreting rules and following conversations. This can all add up to issues with a person’s ability to understand and engage with what is going on around them.

Empathy

Often one of the most difficult issues for loved ones of a brain injury survivor to deal with, problems recognising and understanding other people’s feelings and behaviour can be very challenging. This can lead to issues such as the survivor acting inappropriately and without regards to other people’s feeling because they are not capable of taking them onboard.

Funding support for brain injury survivors

People living with a brain injury often need a range of different types of treatment and support, including medication, physical and cognitive therapy, and care assistance. Ensuring all of the right support is in place can be costly, which is one of the reasons pursuing brain injury compensation is often essential where the injury was due to medical negligence.

Medical negligence claims can be complicated, however, so it is a good idea to consult specialist brain injury solicitors to ensure you have access to the right expertise and experience to give you the best chance of securing compensation. With the right legal guidance, it is usually possible to agree a settlement out of court, allowing you to access funds faster and with less stress and uncertainty for you and your loved ones.

Published: 2019-01-05 10:50:26