What Are Cranial Nerves?
Cranial nerves pass from the brain to different areas of the body; they allow you see, taste, smell and hear. They help you make facial expressions, blink your eyes and move your tongue.
Because of their location, cranial nerves are easily injured. When the brain is subjected to an acceleration/deceleration injury, like in a car accident or fall, it moves against the bony ridges inside the skull and some of these nerves are damaged. In fact, it’s widely known that many people with brain injury lose their ability to smell and taste things. This graphic provides a great overview of the 12 cranial nerves and what they do.
Brain injuries can be life-changing, and you need to make sure you have all the resources you need to live the best life possible. The attorneys of Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci possess a deep understanding of brain injury and can explain to the jury the full breadth of its impact on your life in a way that ensures full compensation. Call us.
How Do I Improve My Memory?
Lisa Genova is a Harvard-trained neuroscientist turned author who wrote about recovery from brain injury in her novel, Left Neglected. In a recent article, she shared 7 strategies for how to keep your memory sharp; I’ve condensed some of her points here.
- See it: Create a mental image of what you’re trying to remember, and you add more connections. Use all caps, highlight it, circle it, anything that helps you create a visual image.
- Use your imagination: People with the best memories have the best imaginations. To help make a memory unforgettable, use creative imagery to make a rich association.
- Make it about you: You are more likely to remember a detail about yourself or something that you did, so make what you’re learning unique to you. Associate it with your personal history and opinions, and you’ll strengthen your memory.
- Look for the drama: Experiences drenched in emotion or surprise tend to be remembered; they activate your amygdala, which then sends a loud and clear message to your hippocampus: “Hey! What is going on right now is extremely important. Remember this!”
- Practice makes perfect: Repetition and rehearsal strengthen memories. Quizzing yourself enhances your memory for the material far better than simply rereading it. Muscle memories become stronger and are more efficiently retrieved as you practice.
- Use plenty of retrieval cues: Cues can be anything associated with what you’re trying to remember; smells are especially powerful memory cues because your olfactory bulb sends strong signals to the parts of your brain that consolidate memories.
- Externalize your memory: People with the best memories for what they intend to do later use aids like lists, pillboxes, calendars, sticky notes, and other reminders. It’s not cheating; our brains aren’t designed to remember to do things later. Write them down.
Improve Your Brain Health
If you’ve had a brain injury, these tips are super important to recovery. If you’ve been injured because of another’s negligence, it’s important to understand your legal rights. The experienced personal injury lawyers with Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci can help you understand your options for compensation; call us.
Accessible Tiny Homes
In a recent article in Brain and Life, Paul Wynn reviewed how tiny homes may provide an option to the lack of accessible housing for people with physical mobility challenges. He cited information shared in Senate Special Committee on Aging in July 2023 that 13 percent of Americans are physically disabled, but only 5 percent of housing in the United States is accessible, and just 1 percent can accommodate wheelchairs.
There are a few individuals and organizations specializing in creating accessible dwelling units and pads; one company is Wheelpad. They make 2 models: one is 200 square feet and includes a bedroom-and-bath suite that can accommodate a wheelchair and a caregiver, a ceiling lift track in case a hoist is needed, and other accessible features; the other is slightly larger, has all the same features of the smaller model and adds a kitchenette and a washer and dryer. Each unit is modular and on wheels, and they can be leased or purchased. If purchased, once the family no longer needs the unit, WheelPad will evaluate it, agree on a price with the owner, and purchase it back if desired.
Larry Stephens is registered architect, residential builder and draftsman, and in response to his own and other’s needs, he has carved out a specialty in drawing up plans for accessible tiny homes. They can be found for free on his website: www.larrys-house-plans-guide.com/wheelchair-accessible-tiny-house-plans.html
In Austin, TX, the Community First Village offers tiny homes as permanent supportive housing for people with disabilities. Winnebago has created the Roam, which is an RV with a wheelchair lift and accessible appliances; it can be accessed quickly by those who need immediate housing. Given the current housing shortage of accessible living spaces, the use of tiny homes will likely continue to grow.
Brain Injury at Trial
After a devastating brain or spinal cord injury, the time may come when it is necessary to consider long-term care plans. Personal injury attorneys will frequently turn to a life care planner to provide answers about their client’s condition and future care needs.
Life care planners are trained in estimating future care costs for patients with catastrophic disabilities. They will conduct a medical record review and assess their client’s needs and collaborate with other medical professionals to determine the appropriate course of treatment. They’ll provide a cost analysis and include annual estimates for further medical and rehabilitative interventions and durable medical equipment and supplies, among other things. Once the estimated annual cost of care is calculated, the life care planner will use well-established methods to determine the patient’s life expectancy to create a lifetime budget.
A life care plan can provide a comprehensive roadmap for their long-term care and quality of life, as it considers potential changes in their needs over time; it often includes details like physical and occupational therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, mental health support, assistive technology, home care and home and vehicle modifications.
A thorough plan outlines current and future medical needs, treatment plans, and associated costs for an individual who has sustained a brain injury, such as lost earning potential. Life care plans are critical in personal injury lawsuits to help attorneys demonstrate the extent of the damage caused by a brain or spinal cord injury at trial and to support claims for compensation.
