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attention and focus with persistent post-concussive syndrome

I had a head injury about 9 years ago where there was a brief loss of consciousness with a seizure at the time.  Was told that I had a concussion.  For several weeks afterwards I had trouble with memory, which included recalling information that I knew before the concussion, such as phone numbers, as well as some trouble with short term memory issues.  Also had headaches and nausea and vomiting for a couple of weeks.  Today I have chronic insomnia from that concussion as well as what can be fairly significant trouble with attention and focus.  I've been through neuropsych testing that showed that I had significant difficulty with focus and attention, as well as processing speed, although it I hide this fairly well.  I'm typically somebody who you would describe as above average intelligence and I actually really like learning and critical thinking.  The difficulty comes with school as it becomes an issue with testing.  For example, last week, I had a quiz which was a fairly easy quiz.  Know the material very well and have no trouble with it.  Read the question wrong and ended up working out the problem the way I read it, only to discover at the end that I had done this and at that point didn't have enough time to do it over again.  I am taking higher level college science classes and it's not generally the understanding the material that's the issue, but it really comes down to focus and attention.  I do have accommodations for testing that include extra time and a reduced distraction setting which does help, but there's still difficulty.  I'm also on low dose Adderall which seems to help a little sometimes, but definitely hasn't fixed the issue.  I've asked the neuropsychologist for advice on how to deal with this issue on the non pharmaceutical end of it and have received no help or advice on things I could do.  I was wondering if anybody else had this problem and how they dealt with it.  Current things I do include ear plugs for testing, taking in a pen of a different color for test to underline key points in a question, extra time and reduced distractions for testing.  
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Avatar universal
What are good memory games and tricks to remember things?
Helpful - 0
351246 tn?1379682132
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi!
I can understand your apprehensions. If you do not want to use medications then, please find out whether this would further harm the condition or not. It is difficult to assess the situation on net and hence you need to talk to his treating doctor or therapist. There are many memory games and tricks to remember things. However, if there is an interruption in communication of thought process or commands then this may or may not be curable. However regular therapy and learning skills designed for his problem will help him big way. Please discuss this with your son’s therapist. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.
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Avatar universal
This sound like one of many issues I'm dealing with for my son who is now 11 years old and also suffered a server head trauma and injured the "gray matter of his brain"  he was also diagnosed  weeks afterward with what they call a "twitch" focal epilepsy.  He use to have server episodes but they have gotten a lot better, but I still notice that he has a hard time staying focus and actually listening or just remembering lessens his teacher reviewed.  Prior to his head injury he was VERY intelligent, it was like he had a photographic memory.  Now he struggles, it really hurts me because doctors dont seem to listen or dont take what I'm saying as truth...i dont know....Do you have any advise that can assist with his learning or focusing?  FYI - most doctors want to drug him up and I refuse to do that.  When he was suffering with his "episodes"  I refused to give him the downers they wanted me to give to him.  Instead I learned ways that stopped it or calmed it down.  It worked and he started learning to calming his episodes on his own.  When I say episodes referring to his "twitch"  since the gray matter of his brain was damage, it was in an area where 3 points of the brain kinda meet to process the movement of your body movements, thought and speech.  example: he wants to take off his shoes so he has this already in his mind to do so after telling me, I tell him No do not take them off yet, he response with OK yet his brain has already processed that he was going to take off his shoes and still continues to do so, even when he knows he said OK I wont but can not help it.  Its kind of a loss of control yet he knows and would get frustrated cause sometime he would hurt other kids without meaning to.....I remember one time he was frustrated and started crying and telling me that he didn't mean it but he could not stop...telling me Mom i wanted to stop and tried but i just can't.  Do you think this is still a form of his "twitch" that he has a hard time remembering or focusing?  He is 11 yrs old and can't identify "time spans" like if this happened yesterday or a week ago.  I just need some kind of ideas to curve these issue for him as well as myself???????Help???
Helpful - 0
351246 tn?1379682132
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi!
Since you get extra time for a test re-read the question so that everything is clear to you before attempting the answer. Then with the different color pen that you are carrying, mark the important points of the question. If something comes to your mind regarding the answer, jot this down as well. Thinking aloud the answer in your mind while writing it can help you remain focused on it. You could ask the invigilator to keep an eye on you so that if you are found inattentive or not answering, you can get a gentle reminder to keep attempting the paper. Once you finish a question, tick it as done. This way you will not miss any question. Hope this helps. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.
Helpful - 0
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