Head trauma can result in problems of varying duration in a number of areas, including: changes in personality, sensory deficits (i.e. vision or hearing loss), and changes in mood. Head trauma can also result in some form of cognitive disorder (i.e. problems with memory, attention, planning, abstract thought, and organization). Treatment involves cognitive rehabilitation designed to restore specific areas of functional ability.
Dementia is a serious cognitive disorder that describes a group of symptoms, including problems with memory (difficulty recalling old information and learning new information), language, movement, recognizing common objects, planning, and organization. Although typically associated with aging, dementia can occur at any point in the lifecycle, can be caused by a number of different factors (i.e. neurological disease, drug abuse, head injury, HIV/AIDS), and is often progressive. Treatment includes cognitive rehabilitation, psychotherapeutic intervention to assist the individual cope with the disorder, family therapy to assist caregivers in managing the changes in their loved one, and medication.
