Newswise Baltimore, Md. - Sinai Hospital of Baltimore announces the opening of the new Louis and Phyllis Friedman Neurological Rehabilitation Center. The 20-bed center located on the fifth floor of the hospitals South Tower provides specialized rehabilitation services to adults who have sustained a brain injury, stroke or other neurological disorder and is one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the state. The center offers a comprehensive, patient-centered approach to treatment, featuring the latest technology; a team of more than 40 doctors, nurses and therapists; and an emphasis on family-centered care. Highlights include: A dedicated nine-bed brain injury unit with the highest number of certified brain injury specialists in Maryland A state-of-the-art gym filled with the most advanced technology to assist patients in their daily therapy, including a ZeroG gait and balance training system, an advanced tool that enables therapists to safely treat patients through a wide range of activities, and the latest generation of training devices for visual perception A simulated community called "Greater Heights" that helps facilitate patients integration into their own community following discharge, featuring grocery store and bus stop settings and an ATM A fully equipped home transition apartment that allows patients to … Continue reading →

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works. After the original blow, the brain then hits the skull in a counterblow that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth. In more severe cases, often as the result of twisting the neck during the blow, pressure is put on the brain stem. This is particularly worrisome, as the brain stem is where all basic involuntary life functions are controlled including heart rate, breathing, sleeping and eating. Bleeding, or other damage may occur as a result of a concussion. Often, people who sustain a concussion cannot remember the events surrounding the blow. Symptoms of a concussion include being drowsy, hard to wake up or similar changes, having a headache, loss of consciousness, memory loss (amnesia) of events before the injury or right after, nausea and vomiting, seeing flashing lights, or even feeling like you have "lost time". Sometimes the symptoms may even be severe enough to seek immediate medical attention. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the U.S. National Library of Medicine … Continue reading →

Fall Sports Season Signals Parents to Watch for Symptoms and Engage School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists to Help Rockville, MD (PRWEB) October 11, 2012 Kids and teens suffering from TBI may struggle with speech, language, and thinking, which can lead to problems reading or memorizing. They may have more trouble than usual focusing on tasks and homework or difficulties paying attention in class. Poor grades and/or problems talking with friends or doing favorite activities may result. Every school district across the United States has a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who can work with a TBI-impacted student and his or her family and teachers to create a treatment plan. Leveraging their training in cognitive communication impairments and experience helping children develop language and reading skills, SLPs can administer and interpret cognitive and behavioral assessments. They may also work with teachers to transition kids returning to school after TBI and modify test times, class loads, homework, and deadlines as needed. Having ongoing access to school-based SLPs can be especially helpful, given that the full impact of a brain injury may not be evident until months or even years later. A child who has a TBI in kindergarten may not have noticeable difficulty in school until … Continue reading →