Concussions
TBI. Traumatic
brain injury. Such a nice euphemism for a concussion, isn’t it? That’s what it
is, after all. Someone’s brain was violently smashed against the inside of
their skull which resulted in deep and, in many cases, permanent damage. One
concussion is not all that bad; however, a second soon after the first can be
crippling.
Additionally,
after the first one, others come easier. The damage compounds upon itself over
time even. Watch any interview with career boxers like Larry Holmes. By the end
of his career he could barely form a sentence. As a veteran, myself, I can attest
to the compounded damage and deterioration. Pay just a little attention to Veterans
who have had a few concussions. You will see similar issues shared with professional
athletes.
The Center for
Disease Control says that between 500,000 and 3 million people in America are
treated for concussions each year. Even on the low end, that is a huge amount a
damage. Particularly when you consider how much work goes into trying to
recover from the damage, to regain the skills lost, regain the physical
functions that were basic non-issues just days prior to the injury.
Among the
multitude of symptoms that can manifest after head trauma, the primary signs of
a concussion to look for include:
·
Headache
|
·
Nausea/Vomiting
|
·
Dizziness/Balance
Problems
|
·
Blurred
Vision
|
·
Sensitivity
to Light
|
·
Sensitivity
to Noise
|
·
Numbness
in any part of the Body
|
·
Can't
Concentrate/Mental Fog
|
·
Can't
Remember Events just before the injury
|
·
Can't
Remember Events just after the injury
|
How does one recover
from concussions? Does it just take time or is there something that can be done
to strengthen the brain tissue itself? The good news is that, yes, there is
something that can be done to assist in recovering from the damage. This
practice can benefit the brain and body even if you have not had a concussion.
Tai Chi Chuan
Tai Chi
translates to The Grand Ultimate. As a philosophy, it has existed for millennia
in both India and China. The martial practice of Tai Chi Chuan around 1,000 to
1,500 years ago in China. Tai Chi Chuan means The Grand Ultimate Fist. For more
information regarding the history of this art, there are several fantastic
articles at YMAA.com, Yang’s Martial Arts Academy.
Practicing
this art, as Catherine Kerr of Harvard Medical School (HMS) and many other
studies have confirmed, is a unique culmination of physical and mental
concentration and coordination. It brings together mindfulness meditation,
light to moderate aerobics, and awareness of self and surroundings and one’s
relation to them. It is a practice in moving mindfulness meditation.
Harvard
scientists confirmed in 2011 that mindfulness meditation thickens the cortical
structure in the hippocampus. This is the portion of the brain that governs
learning and memory. By thickening the tissue here, essentially improving the
function of the hippocampus, patients are able to learn new skills and improve
in memory related tasks as opposed to patients with similar injuries who did
not participate in tai chi chuan exercises. Due to this, the Veterans
Administration has included Mindfulness Meditation exercises as part of its
programs for Veterans dealing with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), PTSD, and
anger and impulse control among other issues.
Practitioners
also show improvements in up to eight regions of the brain (2). Regions
associated with motor and executive functions are two important areas to
consider. These benefits have been realized by hundreds of veterans through the
SHARE Program at the Shephard Center in Atlanta, GA. As a veteran with TBIs, I
started practicing tai chi chuan while at the SHARE program several years ago
and still practice today. I continue to experience improvements and changes
after five years of practice.
How Much Time is Needed?
As mentioned
above, changes have been noted in several regions of the brain. This includes
the lingual sulcus (LS). The LS encodes visual memories, logical order of
events, and speech processing. Practice in amounts as small as 30 minutes per
day twice a week have resulted in changes that are easily seen and tracked on a
brain scanner.
One area changed
is the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) behind the frontal lobe. This area is
associated with self-regulatory processes. These include, but are not limited
to, frustration tolerance, behavior inhibition, and self-regulation. Patients
participating in studies of 24 weeks in length have shown improved affect in
these characteristics (1).
The thickening of
the matter in the prefrontal cortex and resultant tests from several studies
show that sturdy participants showed improvements in the portions responsible
for executive function and attention. Study participants demonstrated increased
capacities to recall lists and tasks as well as complete said lists and tasks.
There is also a corresponding increase in thickness of the cortical matter of
the hippocampus. This part of the limbic system also governs learning and
memory. It is also vulnerable to stress-induced injuries such as PTSD. Being
able to repair damage to these tissues and regions is extremely hopeful for
patients struggling with these issues.
More importantly
than seeing these changes on a scanner, these changes are seen in how the
practitioners improve in their ability to function in daily life. By thickening
the tissue in the frontal cortex and in both the hippocampus and amygdala. These
last two are part of the limbic system and are important to us in that they
play a major role in memories, decision making, and emotional reactions.
Conclussion
Both Tai Chi
Chuan and mindfulness meditation have shown to increase tissue density in the
frontal cortex, as mentioned already. Tai Chi Chuan increases tissue density in
the limbic system. This thickening, as with increased tissue and activity in
the frontal cortex, results in improved functions. Test subjects show improved
memory recall and better emotional control and response to situations.
Outside of
personal my experience and interviews along the way over the past several
years, studies referenced include:
Ncbi.nim.nih.gov
Tai Chi and Qigong for the Treatment and Prevention of Mental Disorders
Ncbi.nim.nih.gov
Tai Chi Chuan Baduanjin practice modulates functional connectivity of the
cognitive control network in older adults
a.
This is also applicable to younger
patients who have sustained brain injuries
Journal.frontiersin.org
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Delayed Alteration of Memory Processing
Bibliography
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