Concussion And Communication
Written by: Kendra Wormald / Cognitive Therapy / September 07, 2022 / 10 minutes read
Table Of Contents
What Is A Concussion?
Impact On Communication
How Symptoms May Present In Everyday Life
How Can I Improve These Skills?
Strategies To Help You Concentrate And Remember
What is a Concussion?
A hit to the head, a fall, a car accident are all events that can result in a concussion, also referred to as a mild brain injury. The CDC defines concussion as,
“...a type of traumatic brain injury—or TBI—caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, creating chemical changes in the brain and sometimes stretching and damaging brain cells.”
Education and implementation of concussion protocol and prevention have become increasingly talked about worldwide. The knowledge of which may prevent further brain damage.
Prevention
Wearing properly fitted equipment, such as the right footwear to prevent falls
Training, practicing and playing in ways that are appropriate for your skill level
Developing and enforcing policies and rules in sport and play to prevent injury
Wearing a seatbelt
Take action at home to prevent falls
Red Flags
Double vision
Balance problems
Neck pain
Severe/increasing headache
Loss of consciousness
Feeling sluggish
Foggy headed
Confusion
Vomiting
Seizure or convulsions
Weakness/tingling in arms or legs
Light/Sound sensitivity
Just not “feeling right”, or “feeling down”
*Anyone with a suspected concussion should be checked out by a medical doctor*
The other part of education is being able to recognize problems that may be related to your concussion days, weeks, months even years following the initial event.
Post - Concussion Syndrome occurs when concussion symptoms last longer than the expected recovery period which is usually weeks to months. In this case, the brain keeps using less efficient pathways to complete tasks despite reduction in inflammation. That suboptimal signaling is what results in long-lasting concussion symptoms.
Impact on Communication
There is a broad range of communication impairments that can occur as a result of a concussion which may last long-term such as with PCS. Challenges with cognitive skills such as attention, memory, organization, reasoning and executive function all impact your communication.
“10 to 15% of individuals who incur mild traumatic brain injury will continue to experience significant symptoms beyond the normal recovery period of three months (Iverson, 2005), which can include post-traumatic headache, sleep disturbance, disorders of balance, cognitive impairments, fatigue, and mood or affective disorders.” (Guidelines for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Persistent Symptoms (Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, 2012)
Following a concussion, as you return to daily activities and school and work, you may have noticed difficulty thinking clearly, feeling slowed down, foggy headed, had difficulty with remembering new information, losing items, and difficulty concentrating - all of which play a role in communication.
Word finding, naming, planning speech, planning motor movement to say the words, evaluating non-verbal communication and paying attention to the speaker, are all skills that contribute to our success as an effective and efficient communicator. A concussion can have a mild to significant impact on how we interact with the world and others around us.
“Cognitive communication disorders (CCD’s) can have the greatest impact on communication at the level of discourse and social exchange as opposed to speech sounds and words. CCD’s can have a negative impact across the continuum of recovery. Impaired communication can affect the rehabilitation process, social reintegration, community independence, family interactions, successful employment and academic success” (Macdonald & Wiseman-Hakes, 2010).
Following a concussion, as you return to daily activities you may have noticed difficulty thinking clearly, feeling slowed down, foggy headed, had difficulty with remembering new information - all of which play a role in communication.
How Symptoms May Present in Everyday Life
Reduced reasoning and problem solving skills: A person may have challenges using language to resolve a conflict or problem or making poor decisions, difficulty understanding someone’s point of view
Cognitive fatigue: Excess sleepiness, poor concentration and attention, thinking less clearly or logically, more agitated.
Slowed speech of information processing: trouble keeping up with the conversation, difficulty speaking to more than one person at a time
Impaired social communication skills: not recognizing everyday social cues, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, interrupting others, speaking in sexually explicit way or swearing at inappropriate times, challenges talking around a shared topic, trouble understanding jokes or metaphors
Poor Insight: Have other challenges but are not able to recognize them
How can I improve these skills?
The role of a Speech-Language Pathologist in providing concussion management includes assessment, education and functional intervention to develop cognitive and communication skills and provide compensatory strategies where appropriate. Your SLP will work with you to support reintegration and participation into your routine, and work on skills directly related to support communication, professional success and interpersonal skills.
Strategies to help you Concentrate and Remember:
Use a calendar/planner to keep track of important tasks/dates
Set reminders/alarms
Keep items such as keys, glasses, phones in the same place each day
Make lists, use sticky notes
Take breaks
Read outloud to support understanding and attention
Ask others to repeat themselves or talk slower
Work in quiet environments
Break large tasks up
Take your time when making important decisions
A Masterclass Course on Communication Wellness Is also a great resource
Each individual with a concussion is - one person with a concussion. The way it affects a person is a challenging and unique experience to them. The greatest importance of intervention is personalizing therapy and working with a qualified communication therapist to target specific goals to optimize your communication skills and reintegration into life, whatever that may look like for you.
To speak with a psychotherapist or one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.
