Question

An individual who sustained a traumatic brain injury complains of difficulty performing his job as a medical secretary. However, the person reports no trouble finishing books, completing chores, and communicating with his partner. Create an attentional profile of said individual that includes the types of attention impaired versus spared. Provide a rationale.

Answer 1

Traumatic brain injury occurs as a result of sudden blow or jolt to the head. The injury occurs as a result of motor cycle accident,sports injury,assaults. Different types of TBI are concussion,Diffuse axonal injury,contusion,hematoma. Normally symptoms includes memory loss,unconsciousness,head aches,confusion,disorientation,seizures,vomiting,poor attention/concentration. Diagnosis to rule out TBI are primary history collection,computed tomography,magnetic resonance imaging,magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Hemodynamic monitoring includes intracranial pressure monitor,connecting to mechanical ventilator, feeding tube to meet nutritional needs,ECG and electroencephalography. Surgical management includes craniectomy, craniotomy.

Attention an act of listening and it involves cognitive process. Attention is classifies into selective attention,executive attention and sustained attention. Cognitive problems like impaired attention and concentration like easy distraction and difficult in finishing task problems in maintaining conversations for long period of duration. This is called as building block of higher level skills.

After brain injury the executive center in cerebral cortex get disturbed and resulting in impairment in attention and concentration.