What Is Cognition?

Many in Roanoke County may think that legal action following a brain injury is only warranted in cases where one is left severely impaired and dependent on round-the-clock care for the rest of their lives. This assumption may lead some to question your motives if you choose to seek an injury claim after suffering a concussion. The common school of thought is that the effects of a concussion are almost always temporary, yet in reality, such an injury does fall into the category of traumatic brain injuries. As such, its effects can often include either temporary or prolonged cognitive deficits that can have a dramatic impact on your life. 

Per the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center, cognition is defined as the acts associated with absorbing and utilizing information. It encompasses: 

• Attention and concentration

• Processing, understanding and recalling information

• Planning, organizing and assembling

• Reasoning, problem-solving, decision-making and judgment

• Communication

• Impulse control and patience

A thoughtful contemplation of each of these elements reveals exactly how vital each is to effective everyday living. Your struggles with any of them can make it next to impossible for you to resume the activities you were engaged in prior to your injury. They can affect your performance at work, your ability to maintain relationships, and even your capacity to care for yourself on a day-to-day basis. 

Treatment for cognitive deficits can include psychiatric counseling, memory enhancement training and occupational therapy. These recuperative services come at a price, and one that (if your injury makes it difficult for you to return to work) you might have difficulty affording on your own. Legal action against the party responsible for your injury may be the only reasonable means for you to afford such care and support yourself during your recovery.