Numerous health conditions may involve the brain, including head injuries, a stroke, dementia, and some forms of cancer, which means that the affected person cannot think or solve problems and, thus, suffer from cognitive impairment. Here CRT comes into play. Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy includes various techniques and interventions designed and implemented by therapists and psychiatrists to increase the efficiency of the cognitive abilities of people suffering with some form of cognitive impairment. Approaches used in CRT are often altered by therapists to suit the demands of the patient. It may well set out to enhance any of the following social skills:
- Memory
- Planning
- Awareness
- Organization
- Communication
- Problem-solving
- Decision-making
Two Broad Models of Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy
- Compensatory Strategies: These focus on imparting knowledge to an individual about how a particular task can be done in another way in the event of a defect or in circumstances where he or she is conditioned to tackle issues in a certain manner due to such impairments. For instance, the following; relying on calendars or app reminders on a mobile phone to remind one of certain occasions, events or dates.
- Restorative Treatment: therapists make patients do skill-improving activities to help with their cognitive impairment.For example: problem-solving games, chess, attention-focused exercises etc.
Benefits of Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy
CRT is a commonly used therapy approach among experts as It has countless benefits if used on patients. It is known to help with many mental disorders such as:
- Autism
- Anxiety
- Epilepsy
- Dementia
- Depression
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
- Parkinson’s disease
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Cancer/brain surgery-related cognitive impairment
How do Therapists/Psychiatrist Use Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy
Various strategies and interventions are implemented by experts while considering CRT:
- Brain exercises: puzzles, chess and other cognitive abilities enhancing activities are encouraged to be used to deal with cognitive problems
- Social skills training: therapists help patients perform better in social spaces by helping them enhance communication, empathy, social awareness, etc
- Behavioural Changes: strategies are developed to make a change in habit and behaviour regarding cognitive difficulties such as setting up reminders, making a to-do list on notepad, etc
- Memory aids: people with cognitive impairment often face problems in remembering things This strategy teaches them to use technological devices to help them remember for ex setting up alarms.
Why is Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy important?
Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy can help individuals who struggle with their cognitive skills to live a fuller life. Try to think, if you forgot that you had a test or were unable to concentrate on the work. That would pose a problem when faced in day–to–day activities, would it not? Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy assists people in getting past such obstacles to tend school, work, or interact with family and friends.
Read More: The Integral Role of Rehabilitation Psychology
Challenges to Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy
- Limited Awareness: A highly concerning issue is that healthcare professionals, patients, and the general population are not only poorly informed about CRT’s effectiveness and existence but may also experience significant barriers to accessing care. Most persons may not even be aware that CRT exists or how it can assist people who have cognitive issues.
- Access Barriers: The availability of CRT services or interventions is, therefore, hindered by such factors as location, funding, and professionals trained in the practice.
- Funding Constraints: one of the potential challenges that applicants face for CRT services is the financial factor. It is not uncommon for insurance providers to reject coverage for cognitive rehabilitation or when they agree to provide coverage the money is typically insufficient to pay for the treatment.
- Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Cultural competence or lack of it affects the therapist’s utilization of CRT as an intervention. Hospitals, clinics and other healthcare organizations should encourage multiculturalism as their employees interact with other people on different cultural levels and they have to gain different communication modes to embrace multiculturalism.
Read More: Importance of Family and Caregiver Support in Rehabilitation
Like all other therapeutic techniques, Cognitive Rehabilitation Treatment also changes its strategies as more knowledge is discovered about the functionality of the brain. Future advancements, a combination of technology disciplines, and other new advancements in the area of customized care are expected to enhance both the effectiveness and deliverability of Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy even more. Therefore, through these opportunities and bearing in mind the possible challenges mentioned above, This article ensures that every patient with cognitive impairment gets the best attention he/she deserves and employs Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy to address cognitive abilities with a view of having a better future out of it.
References +
- Novakovic-Agopians, T., & Abrams, G. (2014). Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 824–826). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-385157-4.00481-4
- Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy (CRT). (2023, May 9). BrainLine. https://www.brainline.org/treatment/cognitive-rehabilitation-therapy-crt
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4904751/
