Brain Injury & Behavioral Dyscontrol: Impact of Cognitive Deficits

Course overview

Behavioral dyscontrol refers to manifestations of inappropriate conduct. It includes noncompliance/nonadherence, physical aggression, verbal aggression/threats, sexual inappropriateness, poor safety/judgment, elopement, wandering, making demands/being manipulative, hoarding, social withdrawal, self-injurious behavior, suicidal ideation/behavior, somatic complaints, unawareness of deficits, hallucinations/delusions, etc. Cognitive deficits often underlie behavioral dyscontrol after brain injury. Knowledge of cognitive deficits after brain injury is essential for successful treatment. Such knowledge entails understanding cognitive variables and their behavioral implications, how to assess cognitive functions, and deficits likely to be problematic based on key brain regions. The goal of this course is to describe cognitive functions, their assessment, and the patterns of dyscontrol stemming from common regions of brain injury. This course is Part 1 of a four-part series of courses on behavioral dyscontrol following brain injury. As with all courses in this series, the material presented is applicable to all disciplines, including Nursing staff (Nurses/Nursing Assistants/Personal Care Attendants), therapists (Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Recreational Therapists, Music Therapists, Art Therapists, Dieticians/Nutritionists, etc.), Psychologists/Rehabilitation Psychologists/Neuropsychologists, Counselors, Physicians, etc., because [1] behavioral dyscontrol can interfere with the provision of treatment by any discipline, [2] the information provided in these courses can be applied by all disciplines, and [3] the treatment of behavioral dyscontrol requires everyone on a team to participate. Moreover, the information and techniques described are applicable in diverse settings: hospitals (Acute Care Hospitals/Rehabilitation Hospitals/Long-Term Care Acute Hospitals-LTACHS, State Hospitals), nursing homes, group homes, assisted living sites, vocational programs, etc.