What Is Cognitive Rehabilitation Occupational Therapy?
Cognitive rehabilitation occupational therapy (CRT) is a medical treatment designed to help people regain their cognitive function and memory after experiencing brain injury or illness. It has applications in treating many illnesses and disorders such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.
CRT (Comprehensive Rehabilitative Therapy) is a multidisciplinary treatment designed to restore cognitive functions after injury or illness. It requires the collaboration of medical professionals, such as therapists and psychiatrists, in order to be successful.
Cognitive rehabilitation aims to assist you in returning to normal daily tasks, such as making decisions, paying bills and keeping track of appointments. You will also acquire strategies that can aid in managing your recovery and enhancing quality of life.
Cognitive rehabilitation primarily consists of two forms: restorative and compensatory.
Restorative treatments aim to build or enhance cognitive abilities through memory exercises and attention training. They utilize neuroplasticity, or the brain’s capacity for adapting and changing connections throughout life.
Exercise, therapy sessions and learning new strategies are all part of this process. You could do these sessions at a hospital, outpatient rehab clinic or from home.
OTs can offer advice on managing your recovery. They may teach you new reminder systems, strategies for using calendars, visual-auditory techniques, and delegation techniques that will enable you to get more done at work or school.
Treatment can be provided through face-to-face, online, or telephone sessions. Usually, this short-term therapy is completed within one to three months with weekly or biweekly sessions lasting an hour or more.
In addition to improving cognitive function, OTs can also help patients reduce the risk of further cognitive issues. For instance, someone with a mild traumatic brain injury might benefit from receiving a cognitive retraining program which will boost their confidence and optimism when managing their illness.
Programs such as these can be beneficial to patients and their loved ones alike. Not only do they reduce stress associated with diagnosis, but they give people a sense of control over their condition and ultimately enhance quality of life.
Cognitive rehab therapists may provide education on the most effective strategies to avoid cognitive fatigue during both early and later recovery phases. This may include learning how to minimize distractions and focus on what matters most to each person.
Educating patients and their families during initial evaluations and consultations is often a crucial step in selecting evidence-based treatments.
When developing a treatment plan for each patient, it’s essential to tailor it according to their goals and needs. This requires taking into account the patient’s history, environment, and available resources.
Therapists must take into account the patient’s current level of functioning and ability to tolerate cognitive challenges when designing the therapy. The treatment should target specific areas of the brain which were damaged due to the injury.
