 | Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) affects each unique individual in different
ways. No two injuries are the same. What is common amongst those with
brain injuries is that the recovery process takes many months and often
years. Marla's injuries have affected the left side of her brain in
regions that deal with speech, language interpretation, and motor (muscle
movement) function.
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| Aphasia is an impairment of the ability to use or
comprehend words - often a result of stroke or head injury. Marla's
injuries have caused her to have difficulty speaking and understanding
speech. There is no cure for aphasia, but with speech therapy and
re-learning, the injured individual can often compensate for the deficits
caused by their injuries.
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| Hemiparesis is weakness on one side of the body, usually
caused by an injury to the brain or nervous system. Marla's left brain
injury has impaired her ability to control the muscles on the right side of her
body since the left hemisphere of the brain controls right side movement.
With physical and occupational therapy, we hope that Marla will regain
much of her function.
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| Apraxia is a deficit in the ability to
carryout skilled acts, frequently caused by brain injury. Apraxia is not
used to describe deficits in motor power or mental capacity. There are
several types of apraxia:
 | Constructional apraxia is the inability
to put together elements to form a meaningful whole. |
| Ideational apraxia is loss of the
ability to plan even a simple action. |
| Ideokinetic apraxia, results in a loss
of coordination between formation of ideas and motor activity; affected
persons can do certain things automatically but not deliberately. |
| Motor apraxia is the inability to
perform fine motor acts. |
Marla's injury appears to exhibit mainly ideokinetic
symptoms at this point. This means that she speaks mainly in situations
that demand or rely upon an automatic response, such as "Hi, Mom!" or "Ow!"
However, when asked specific questions that require a formulated answer,
Marla usually becomes frustrated and does not respond.
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| Resources: Below are several resources for anyone interested in
learning more about Traumatic Brain Injury.
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| Internet Resources:
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| Books:
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