Cognitive rehabilitation for reversible and progressive brain injury

Cognitive rehabilitation (CR) is a specialized treatment procedure to develop the cognition affected by internal or external injury to the brain. The process of cognitive rehabilitation involves assessment of cognitive functions, goal setting, and applying appropriate cognitive exercises to improve the cognitive function. There are two types of CR: Restorative rehabilitation and Compensatory rehabilitation. The CR therapist will make a comprehensive assessment of the impairment and design appropriate cognitive exercises. Studies on the efficacy of CR for brain damage have shown two extremes; one opinion was CR has a positive effect on the patients cognitive functioning and the other opinion was that CR has no effect on the cognitive functioning. This case study examines the dynamics and relevance of CR in reversible and progressive brain injury. It was observed that in reversible condition CR improves cognition and thereby functional ability. In progressive conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD), CR improves the cognition marginally and thereby improves functional ability and also reduces Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms in Dementia (BPSD).