The Cognitive FX Blog

Brain Injury Awareness | Brain Safety & Care | Car Accident | Post Concussion Treatment

Post-Concussion Syndrome Car Accident Settlements: How They Work, Mistakes to Avoid, and Insights from Real Cases

By: Barbara Porter June 24th, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

Receiving a concussion (a mild type of traumatic brain injury) in a car accident can be an extremely traumatic experience, regardless of whether you were at fault.

How to Find a Good Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) Support Group

By: Kathryn Severs BSN, RN June 10th, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

Post-concussion syndrome is an “invisible” illness.

The 5 Types of Glasses for Post Concussion Syndrome: A Patient Guide

By: Andy Clower June 8th, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

Following concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), impaired vision and vision-related symptoms are common. Signs and common symptoms include blurred vision, light sensitivity, light-related headaches, eye movement issues, and more.

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.

Cognitive Therapy for Brain Injury: What It Is and How It Can Help with Severe TBI or Concussion

By: Michelle Huish January 28th, 2021 Updated January 23, 2023

If you’ve had a severe or mild traumatic brain injury (severe TBI or mild TBI) that’s left you with post-concussion syndrome (PCS), just thinking can be taxing. Cognitive health is “the ability to clearly think, learn, and remember,” but a brain injury can disrupt these processes, either temporarily or in the long term. This can make day-to-day functioning a challenge, to say the least.

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!

How to Get the Best Vestibular Therapy for Concussion Symptoms

By: Andy Clower December 17th, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

Dizziness. Nausea. Balance problems. Car-sickness. These are a few of the unpleasant symptoms of vestibular dysfunction after a head injury. Fortunately, they don’t have to be permanent; most patients make rapid improvement with a good therapist.

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.

Dry Needling and Acupuncture for Concussion: Can They Relieve Your Symptoms?

By: Toshi Sugiyama November 2nd, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

Dry needling and acupuncture can help relieve certain post-concussion symptoms. They are not a cure-all, either for acute concussion or post-concussion syndrome, but if you suffer from headaches, neck and back pain, or nausea, keep reading.

Can Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Help with Brain Injury Recovery?

By: Dr. Mark Allen PhD October 7th, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

Oxygen is good for the brain. A lack of oxygen is bad for the brain. So is getting more than normal levels of oxygen better for the brain?

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...

The Truth About Alcohol, Caffeine, and Post-Concussion Recovery

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen September 17th, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

Some doctors say it’s absolutely unsafe to drink liquor when you’re recovering from a concussion. Others say it’s safe, but it might set back your recovery. Still others say, “Why not substitute a fancy coffee for your favorite cocktail on your next night out?” (Please don’t do this. We’ll explain why later in this post.)

The Patient’s Guide to Post-Concussion Autonomic Dysfunction (Dysautonomia)

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen September 2nd, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

Persistent symptoms after a head injury (post-concussion syndrome) can be confusing. They don’t always seem like problems an injured brain should cause. Symptoms like memory problems, trouble reading, or light sensitivity make sense; your brain is closely involved in those processes.

What Can a Neurologist Do for Post Concussion Syndrome?

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen August 18th, 2020 Updated May 23, 2022

What should you do when your concussion symptoms don’t go away?

What the Duke Study on fMRI Brain Scans Means for Post-Concussion Syndrome Detection

By: Dr. Mark Allen PhD July 21st, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

The Hariri lab at Duke University recently published a review that questions the reliability of task-based fMRI as used to examine individual patients.

Traumatic Brain Injury Long-Term Effects, Symptoms, and Treatment

By: Dr. Alina Fong PhD July 20th, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

Between 80,000-90,000 of people who suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) each year develop long-term disabilities related to their TBI. Many others suffer from a variety of long-term, problematic symptoms that continue to interfere with their lives. When they try to get help for these issues, they are often told there’s nothing more that can be done — or worse, that there’s nothing wrong with them at all. Here’s the good news: Recovery can and does continue for patients who find the right help.

Long-Term Anxiety After a Concussion: Why You Feel This Way and How to Move Forward

By: Dr. Diane Spangler PhD June 15th, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

There is a whole world of hurt and pain for patients who experience mental health symptoms after a concussion. Not all of them realize that concussions can cause anxiety, and those who do know it don’t know why it’s happening or how to fix it. Many visit psychiatrists who prescribe medication that may just make things worse (something we’ll explain in depth later in the post).

Heightened Anxiety Over COVID-19: How Our Bodies Perceive Threats

By: Dr. Diane Spangler PhD May 19th, 2020 Updated December 8, 2022

It should come as no surprise that COVID-19 — both the illness itself and all the situational changes that come with the coronavirus pandemic — is messing with our minds. Many people are experiencing heightened anxiety in response to the pandemic, and not just people who have experienced anxiety before.

The Long Term Effects of Encephalitis: How to Recover

By: Dr. Jaycie Loewen May 12th, 2020 Updated January 23, 2023

Many viral and bacterial infections are capable of affecting the brain and causing widespread dysfunction that may outlast the acute disease symptoms. Patients with long-term symptoms after viral encephalitis or meningitis may suffer from fatigue, headaches, difficulty concentrating, sleep issues, memory problems, emotional changes, and more.