Cognitive rehabilitation therapy or CRT is a group of therapies whose primary function is to help the brain reboot and restore.
At Aroha Rehabilitation Centre in Gurgaon, we utilise CRT as part of a comprehensive approach to enhance and rehabilitate brain functionality in individuals who have suffered from TBI, stroke, and other conditions. CRT, therefore, cannot be seen as a specific type of treatment but rather as a set of therapies that clinicians may employ to support recovery.
What is cognitive rehabilitation therapy or CRT?
CRT is defined as any therapy which seeks to remedy impaired cognitive skills, and includes SOC. In this respect, CRT is not a homogeneous theory as some scholars might have the impression of it.
This type of therapy can be applied by many different health care workers including psychotherapists, SLPs , physical therapists, neurofeedback practitioners, occupational therapists and others.
Restorative CRT
Restorative CRT adopted by healthcare professionals to enhance the cognitive capacity of an individual involves reconstructing or solidifying the abilities of an individual who has failed to perform those activities or find them very difficult.
For example, a person might exercise by completing more and more tests to develop memory, or attend training to enhance their attention.
Restorative CRT involves the use of activities that a person undergoes to effectively correct his or her mistakes. Memory Clinic is developed based on the concept of neuroplasticity which assumes that the brain is plastic and can change with repetition.
A person’s brain might develop another route that enables it to bypass the injured part or enhance a former connection owing to frequent usage.
Compensatory CRT
Compensatory CRT is useful in that a person can learn how to do things around the particular injury.
Sometimes it is a short-term measure, for instance, when a client employs assistive products while developing the new abilities.
Compensatory CRT can also be a long-term strategy if the complete recovery of a person’s functioning is impossible.
Different types of CRT
CRT is a broad category of therapies that focuses on the enhancement of the impact of a brain injured area, so this therapy is very diverse.
Some examples of CRT include:
Neurofeedback
This intervention incorporates the use of brain waves’ scans to give back brain feedback in real-time. People in the healthcare profession may advise certain activities depending on these scans.
Attention processing training (APT)
This treatment aims to improve five different domains of attention: concentrated, exclusivist, steady, switching, and dual. This is how, for example, APT, a program aimed at developing a person’s attentiveness, employs increasing task difficulty.
Computer assisted learning
Hence, CAL is not a particular type of CRT but targets many different abilities and skills.
Assistive devices
Able-bodied people use various devices to replace lost skills, so the same applies to quadriplegics.
For example, a patient with aphasia due to a stroke would utilize the board to express their ideas and requirements.
How does CRT help you?
Again, CRT is most often prescribed to be used after a head injury like TBI or a stroke.
More recently, however, practitioners and researchers have started experimenting on CRT for those patients with chronic or progressive diseases.
This may be possible in mild cognitive impairment which is an age-related cognitive condition MCI that often progresses to dementia. However, the authors stress that further studies are needed to determine the efficacy of this application of CBT.
At this time there appears to be no evidence that indicates CRT for consumption is in any way detrimental to an individual’s health, especially for persons with pre-existing cognitive impairments therefore the general population might consider trying it.
But it can be a tiring and rigid affair, it takes much time to go through all these procedures. Because of this there may be patients with uncured diseases for which enjoyment will not be available like dementia, who may prefer enhancing the quality of their lives if they do not enjoy CRT.
Moreover, there are subjects that do not require CRT after experiencing brain injuries. The majority of individuals who receive a TBI have no problems returning to their normal lives. One has to have symptoms of a cognitive problem before a doctor will prescribe CRT.
Treatment and Diagnosis of CRT
Evaluating cases of brain injuries can be quite a challenge if the cause of the injury is not well understood.
The doctor might suggest an evaluation of cognitive functions, MRIs, or labs to eliminate other potential possibilities.
More often, though, the cause is clear, as when an individual experiences a fall or a stroke and subsequently loses some of his or her cognitive abilities.
In order to evaluate the efficiency of the CRT, it is possible that the patient’s treatment team will perform follow-up assessments, for example, neuropsychological ones.
A person can also use how well he or she is functioning in order to measure his or her progress. They exist in the range of possibilities like whether they have managed to go back to work and whether they can finally talk to their loved ones.
Summary
Head injuries and diseases can be of any severity and extent and disable any part of the human body including speech and work. CRT in particular is a more unified one that provides care based on a particular need and a goal. If anyone wishes to attempt CRT, they need to consult a doctor about what is best for the person and also request for proof that these treatments are effective.
