Give people after brain injury their daily lives back quicker

Faster and Better Recovery After Acquired Brain Injury with a Cognitive Exercise Guide

Each year, approximately 150,000 people in the Netherlands sustain an acquired brain injury as a result of an acute event such as stroke, cardiac arrest, or an accident involving head trauma. This can lead to impairments in brain functions such as movement and speech, as well as cognitive functions including concentration, memory, planning, and organization. These cognitive functions are essential for almost every daily activity.

For optimal recovery, it is important to start practicing as early as possible and as much as possible in everyday situations. But how do you practice a visit to a busy supermarket on a Saturday morning when your brain signals that everything is too overwhelming and too difficult? And how do you prepare an evening meal for your family when you are already fatigued and no longer able to maintain an overview? A cognitive training program tailored to the activities that are important to you can help address these challenges. Such a program does not yet exist and will be developed in the form of a cognitive exercise guide. This guide will be based on the latest insights into brain functioning, neuroplasticity, recovery, and rehabilitation.

People with lived experience tell us the following:

“There is a strong motivation to start cognitive rehabilitation as early as possible. Exercises that you can do independently at home (online or on paper) could be of great importance.” — Tridia

“It took months before I could start rehabilitation. I found it frustrating that I couldn’t already begin practicing on my own.” — Ineke

“When you return to society, you encounter all kinds of challenges (traffic, busy supermarkets). It would be great if there were something to practice these situations.” — Rob

Who are we?

We are a team of researchers and healthcare professionals working together at the Expertise Centre for Brain Injury Limburg at Maastricht University. Our mission is to improve the quality of life of this large but vulnerable group of people with brain injury and their loved ones. We have already developed many practical resources, such as informational brochures, assessment tools, and new treatments. Please feel free to visit our website: Homepage | Expertisecentrum Hersenletsel Limburg

Scientific research requires funding, and therefore we urgently need your support to make this project possible. Over the next two years, we aim to develop the cognitive exercise guide in collaboration with experts, healthcare professionals, and people with lived experience. The first version of the guide will then be used by a group of individuals who have recently sustained a brain injury and experience difficulties in daily activities. We will collect their experiences with the guide and determine whether recovery is faster and more effective as a result. If the findings are positive, the exercise guide can be made available for broader use.

Do you also believe it is important to accelerate and improve recovery after brain injury? Then please help us make the development of the cognitive exercise guide possible.

Prof.dr. Caroline van Heugten - Professor in Neuropsychology

UM Crowd is part of the Limburg University Fund/SWOL. This fund is a recognized Public Benefit Organization (ANBI). This means that your donation is fully or partially tax-deductible. After your donation, you will automatically receive an email containing proof of payment.