Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy

Cognition is defined as the faculty or action of knowing. Cognitive psychology is a special branch of psychology. The branch mainly studies mental processes which include how people think, learn, remember and perceive. As a part of the larger field of cognitive science, this branch of psychology is related to other disciplines including neuroscience, philosophy, and linguistics. The central focus of cognitive psychology is to know how a person obtains, processes and stores information. 

Cognitive rehabilitation is a structure of therapeutic activities. It is based on the behavior of brain relationships and which is directed towards achieving functional changes. There are generally six stages in the cognitive rehabilitation. First stage is Individual Interventions. Second is Co-Interventions. The next step is Group Interventions followed by Treatment Intensity. The second last step is Treatment Accommodation and the sixth & final stage is Complex interventions.

There are basically 3 models of cognitive rehabilitation. First, is Functional skills training, second is Process Specific (Direct) Training and the third is Metacognitive Training. All the processes of above 3 procedures have been listed below. You can find the points such as focus, emphasis, mechanism and approach of each procedure.

1. Functional Skills Training

·        Focus: External

·        Emphasis: Functional and Ecological Tasks

·        Mechanism: External compensation

·        Approach: Bottom – Up

1. Process Specific (Direct) Training

·        Focus: Internal

·        Emphasis: Neurocognitive components

·        Mechanism: Restitution

·        Approach: Bottom – Up

1. Metacognitive Training

·        Focus: Internal

·        regulation — Emphasis: Self

·        Mechanism: Internal compensation

·        Approach: Top – Bottom

The aim of rehabilitation is achieving the highest level of brain functioning. The treatment defers from person to person. The doctor has to change the line of treatment according to the individual goals of the patient and their current state of mind. Here rehabilitation psychology plays an important role in analyzing the patient’s strengths and weaknesses. Cognitive rehabilitation goals include:

• Strengthening of intact functions
• Relearning targeted mental abilities
• Substitution of all the lost functions
• Relearning social interaction skills
• The control patient has over his emotional aspects like routine management, impulsivity, functioning and anger

Length of treatment depends on how much progress the patient makes and also his ability to work toward his goals. A typical course of treatment goes on for approximately 5 – 7 months. In some severe cases, this period has been observed to be extended till 18 months. But these cases can be considered as exceptions. As we know the goals of cognitive rehabilitation are targeted towards the individual needs of every patient and their respected families, the outcome is measured in the units such as independent living and returning back to work.

Anyone who has experienced or is currently experiencing changes in their ability to think, remember things, concentrating, carrying out a job like household duties or studies may approach the professionals. They can be surely helped with the cognitive rehabilitations. Many people till date have approached the psychiatrist and got help in solving this problem.

The main problem in rehabilitation of the cognitive disorder is that people fear and does not approach the psychologist at all. And when the problem becomes severe they take more time and efforts to recover from that. As in all diseases, early detection and treatment is always helpful in the Cognitive disorder.