The cognitive impairments due to the occipito-parietal brain injury after gunshot. A successful neurorehabiliation case study.
OBJECTIVE
The presented case study describes the beneficial results of the neuropsychological rehabilitation of a gunshot victim, even with late initialization of the therapy--over 1 year after head trauma.


METHODS
A case study of DE, a victim with bilateral damage of the parietal-occipital regions of the brain due to a gunshot.


METHODS
Neuropsychological rehabilitation, first preceded by an initial neuropsychological examination (standard psychological tests: WAIS-R, RAVLT, Rey's CFT, BVRT and clinical experiments tailored to DE's condition), was initiated 1 year after trauma. The rehabilitation programme consisted of computer-based tasks, paper-and-pencil exercises, and occupational therapy. The patient's progress was assessed as improvement in performance in standardized tests and computer-based tasks.


RESULTS
DE was diagnosed with complex cognitive deficits syndrome, including visual associative agnosia, apraxia, visuospatial and constructive disorders and linguistic defects. After 1 year of rehabilitation the patient's functioning significantly improved as measured by psychological tests and computer-based tasks (p<0.05) as well as the evaluation of the patient's quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
The case study demonstrates beneficial effects of neurorehabilitation even initialized at the so-called 'late stage' after a brain injury.
Seniow
Joanna
J
2nd Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland.
Polanowska
Katarzyna
K
Mandat
Tomasz
T
Laudanski
Krzysztof
K
D000328:Adult; D001072:Apraxias / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D020197:Head Injuries, Penetrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000293:injuries*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000293:injuries*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation