The Cognitive FX Blog

Dr. Jaycie Loewen

Dr. Jaycie Loewen is a Clinical Neuroscientist who received her Doctorate of Neuroscience at the University of Utah. Her background includes the study of basic and clinical brain injury, including the publication of research regarding mechanisms of epilepsy pathophysiology. Her work has elucidated the role of glial and neuronal cell profiles in viral-induced brain injury and acute seizures. Dr. Loewen is further a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scholar, with a Master's in Clinical Investigation awarded in 2018, as well as a recipient of the Higher Education Teaching Specialist Certificate. Through these degrees, she obtained experience with patient care and education as well as an understanding of the necessity of respecting patient experience and symptoms. Dr. Loewen’s focus is firstly patient care and education. She also provides literature analysis and aids in the publication of Cognitive FX’s research. Her goal is to improve Cognitive Fx’s ability to help patients through equal interaction and communication, as well as the furthering of concussion and mild traumatic brain injury treatment and science.

Brain Safety & Care | COVID | Education & Resources

How Long COVID Shortness of Breath Lasts & What to Do about It

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen January 10th, 2022 Updated January 23, 2023

While recovering from COVID-19, you may find yourself getting breathless easily from activities that didn’t used to tire you, like carrying laundry or walking up the stairs.

Post COVID Brain Fog Treatment: How to Think Clearly Again

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen December 8th, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

If you’ve been feeling fuzzy-headed and have been struggling to concentrate since you’ve had COVID-19, you’re not alone. Even months after the disease, some patients still can’t shake the feeling that their brain is lost in a maze. Many describe it as walking through a fog, unable to see where they’re going.

How We Found a Viable Treatment for COVID-19 Long-Haulers

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen October 8th, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

Even after you've recovered from the acute symptoms of COVID-19, you might find yourself struggling with short-term memory loss, concentration issues, and other cognitive symptoms. If it's been weeks (or even months) since you had COVID-19, it can feel like there is no reason why you should still feel this way. These lingering symptoms after initial recovery from COVID-19 have become known as “long COVID” and can have a debilitating effect on your life.

Post-Concussion Menstrual Cycle Changes? You’re Not Alone

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen September 14th, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

Brain Injury and Exercise: How Cardio Intervals Help Patients Recover

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen September 8th, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

If you’ve been struggling with lingering symptoms after a brain injury and even a mild jog is enough to trigger misery, then you might flinch at the idea of high-intensity interval training as a recovery method. But there is a way to exercise while keeping your symptom levels down.

Post-Concussion Syndrome Neck Pain: Causes & Treatment Options

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen August 3rd, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

Many people have neck pain after a concussion or whiplash injury. It may show up immediately after your injury or weeks to months afterward. That pain may involve stiffness, tension, sharp pain, and pain associated with certain movements or behaviors (e.g., looking at your phone). The pain may feel deep or superficial.

Why Post-Concussion Syndrome Causes Tingling Hands (And What to Do)

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen July 23rd, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

Tingling hands following a concussion (mild traumatic brain injury, or mTBI) might sound relatively minor, but for anyone who’s had the misfortune to experience this symptom, it can be painful, puzzling, and disruptive to daily activities.

The Best Natural Remedies for Post-Concussion Syndrome Symptoms

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen June 22nd, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

Many doctors’ first response to a concussion is to recommend resting in a dark room until symptoms go away. And if that doesn’t work (and it won’t for up to 30% of post-concussion patients), their next step is often to prescribe medications for the symptoms that haven’t gone away.

37 Symptoms of Old Head Injury and How to Treat Them

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen May 10th, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

Any head injury — including concussion — can cause symptoms that last for years after the injury. Up to 30% of post-concussion patients experience symptoms beyond the expected three-month recovery window. Other types of brain injury, such as severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), transient ischemic attack (TIA), certain viral or bacterial illnesses, carbon monoxide poisoning, surgery, and chemical exposure can result in lingering symptoms, too.

TBI Brain Injury Recovery Stories: Lessons from 5 Patients

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen April 27th, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

If you’ve ever felt like you were suffering alone with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), you may find it reassuring to learn you’re definitely not alone.

Post-Concussion Stomach Problems: Loss of Appetite, Food Sensitivity, Acid Reflux, and More

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen March 22nd, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

When people think of concussion symptoms, they often think of the obvious ones: headaches, drowsiness, fogginess. What they don’t expect are gastrointestinal issues.

Feeling Cold, Hot, or Fevered After a Head Injury: Why It Happens and What You Can Do

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen March 18th, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

If you’ve experienced a concussion or traumatic brain injury, you may already know that a bewildering array of symptoms can occur days, months, and even years after the injury.

Why Concussion Can Lead to Blood Pressure Changes and POTS

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen March 1st, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), concussion (mild traumatic brain injury or mTBI), and other head trauma can cause high blood pressure, low blood pressure, and other circulatory system changes. Head injury may lead to dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system (a condition known as dysautonomia), which in turn can cause blood pressure dysfunction and other symptoms to persist for months or years after the injury. Some patients experience a particular type of dysautonomia known as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which we discuss further in the post.

The Patient’s Guide to Post-Concussion Heart Rate Increase, Heart Palpitations, and More

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen February 26th, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

Perhaps this sounds familiar: You wake up from a relaxing nap expecting to feel refreshed, but instead, your heart is pounding for no reason. Or you stand up after a few hours on the couch and feel lightheaded and unstable. Maybe your resting heart rate is now 90, even though it used to be 65.

How to Reverse Chemo Brain: Treatment for Cognitive Symptoms after Cancer

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen January 7th, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

The fight with cancer is difficult enough, so it’s understandable if you’re frustrated and confused by the cognitive symptoms that can crop up after chemotherapy. Memory problems? Clouded thinking? Fatigue? No thanks!

Female Concussion Patient? How to Navigate Hurdles on the Road to Recovery

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen December 15th, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

Recovering from a head injury is an emotional, difficult journey whether you’re male or female. On that journey, women face a few hurdles that men do not. Today, we’d like to talk about those hurdles and a few ways you can handle them as they come.

Emotions, Memory, and More: The After Effects of Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA or Mini-Stroke)

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen December 10th, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

Here’s something you probably won’t hear in the emergency room: A transient ischemic attack (TIA, or mini-stroke) can have symptoms that last for months or years afterward. Many healthcare providers think these symptoms are rare or at least short term, but a 2013 survey from the UK Stroke Association showed otherwise. Seventy percent of respondents reported long-term after effects such as cognitive difficulties or poor mobility. And sixty percent had emotional changes after the incident.

Nutrition for Post-Concussion Syndrome: How to Plan for Recovery

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen November 20th, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

What you eat affects your health, whether you’ve sustained a traumatic brain injury or are in perfect health. But nutrition is especially important after a brain injury. Diet can be the difference between your brain getting “just enough to squeak by” vs. being powered up for healing.

How to Talk to Your Doctor About Hormone Imbalance (Including After Head Injury)

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen October 28th, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

At our post-concussion treatment clinic, patients sometimes present with short- or long-term hormone dysfunction after brain injury. While we don’t treat hormonal imbalance at our clinic, we often make referrals for it and communicate with our patients’ physicians about their condition.

How a Brain Injury Can Cause Hormone Dysregulation (And What to Do About It)

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen September 24th, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

Low energy, difficulty concentrating, brain fog, anxiety, depression, memory problems...