Rehabilitation Hospital

The brain is dynamic and capable of adapting to change following injury. Neuroplasticity will occur in the early stages of recovery, when the brain attempts to reorganise synaptic connections.

Neurological rehabilitation aims to maximise physical, psychological and social functioning and reduce distressing symptoms. The frequency and intensity of therapy will depend on the complexity of the individual’s needs and their ability to engage, as fatigue can be a common barrier to intensive rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation is provided by a multidisciplinary team of highly skilled healthcare professionals including speech and language therapy, psychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, nurses and in some cases neuropsychiatry and rehabilitation medicine.

The interdisciplinary team will work collaboratively to develop a bespoke care and treatment plan and agree long and short term goals and objectives with the individual.

What is Acquired Brain Injury?

An acquired brain injury (you may also see it referred to as ABI) refers to any damage that occurs to the brain after birth. There are many causes of brain injury, the most common of which are trauma, stroke, anoxia, hypoxia, tumour, aneurysm, infections and neurodegenerative conditions.

Effects of Acquired Brain Injury

Acquired brain injury can have far reaching and varying consequences; affecting not just the patient but their entire family, friends and carers.

The direct effects of a brain injury tend to be categorised into three groups - physical, cognitive and emotional and behavioural. They can be long-lasting and sometimes permanent.

Physical – fatigue, incontinence, insomnia, hormonal imbalances, dysphagia (swallowing difficulties), mobility problems affecting balance, movement and co-ordination, epilepsy, weakness or paralysis, spasticity, ataxia and sensory impairments

Cognitive – memory and concentration, aphasia (language loss), executive functioning, lack of insight, information processing difficulties and perseveration

Emotional and Behavioural – anxiety, depression, frustration and anger, moods swing, personality change, feeling of loss, PTSD, lack of motivation, verbal or physical aggression, agitation, impulsivity and disinhibition.

Stroke Rehabilitation

A stroke is a type of acquired brain injury (damage that occurs to the brain after birth).

There are two main causes of stroke; haemorrhagic (a bleed in a weakened blood vessel) and ischemic (interrupted or reduced blood flow to the brain usually caused by a blood clot). 

The process of stroke rehabilitation depends on the symptoms and the severity. Timescales for recovery and the likely outcome can be difficult to predict. Some people only require short term rehabilitation (6-8 weeks) whilst others require longer term support over a period of several months, often referred to as “slow stream rehabilitation”.