Jerome Quellier – Addressing Patient Behavior by Brain Lesion Site: Clinical Tools & Strategies Specific to Patient Deficits

Outline

Neuroanatomy And The Impact On Cognitive Processing

• Basic neuronal anatomy
• Brain wiring: Association, projection, and commissural fiber tracts
• Brain lobes locations and ties to cognitive processes
• Cerebellum and impact upon cognition
• Case Study 1: Jacob’s anxiety and how pacing the halls become therapeutic

Optic System And Visual Perception

• Optic constructs, anterior-posterior fiber tracts
• Visual cortices and unique roles in visual processing
• Effect of tumors, shear injuries, CVA lesions upon visual processing
• Case study 2: Why can’t my patient just see the whole worksheet like I do?
• Group Exercise: Review of vision diagnostics by discipline (PT/OT/SLP)

How Neurotransmitters Drive The Bus

• Internal communication systems within the brain
• Dopamine pathways and effects on cognition and reward systems
• Serotonin pathways and mood modulations

Executive Functions Of The Frontal Lobe

• The Cognitive Pyramid and moving patients upward
• Skull anatomy and effects of shear injury
  • Shear injury as it affects anxiety and behavioral health
• Therapy implications for PT/OT/SLP
• Group Exercise: Review of executive function diagnostics by discipline (PT/OT/SLP)

Communication And The Left Hemispheric Functions

• Broca’s vs. Wernike’s area
• Function of the accurate fasciculus upon communication

Spatial Processing And The Right Hemispheric Functions

• Neurophysiology vs neuropathology, understanding patients’ nonverbal challenges
• Inferential language and social cognition
• A sense of time and spatial organization revealed

The Hidden Processors-Thalamic Influences

• Auditory pathways and neuroanatomy
• Thalamic engagement on sensory information
• Modulation of sleep and vigilance

Memory: How The Hippocampus And The Amygdala Partner

• Memory processes
• Memory types: Right vs left hippocampal functions
• Hypoxia and anoxia upon memory function
• Sleep and memory consolidation, effect of exercise on memory structures
• Amygdala’s influence upon fear-based learning and hijacking executive control
• Case study 3: Nile’s hypoxia and long term rehab outcomes

Recovery From Acceleration/Deceleration Injuries: Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)

• Microanatomical features of DAI
• CTE: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
• Where medications have failed

Agitation Management Strategies

• Review how working knowledge of the Rancho Los Amigos levels and practitioner tips can avoid confrontation
• Learn trick of the trade for avoiding escalation
• Confabulation and denial – addressing the elephant in the room

Enriching Patient And Clinician Relationships

• The science behind mediations and mindfulness
• Reigning in the runaway situation