How to exercise brains?
Stroke patients suffer from cerebrovascular diseases, and the lesions are in the brain. Therefore, stroke patients will have varying degrees of functional impairment in sensation, memory, thinking, and other aspects. Some patients may even develop dementia. Therefore, we must strengthen self-brain training for stroke patients, allowing them to recover to the greatest extent possible.
Self-brain training
When doing self-brain training, you first need to change your thinking methods and content. Human brain nerve cells have different physiological functions, some accepting sensory stimulation, some governing movement, and others managing language abilities. Different activities have corresponding brain cells to regulate. Therefore, changing the content of work or life every day can switch the excitement and inhibition of brain cells, reducing fatigue.
Patients with stroke can appropriately engage in learning or reading during brain exercises, constantly changing the content and methods of learning to alternate the state of excitation and inhibition of brain neurons. Patients with stroke often have varying degrees of language disorders, and the severe ones have difficulty taking care of themselves. To enhance the patient’s memory, it is necessary to strengthen the patient’s attention. Clearly assign learning tasks to the patients, encourage them to overcome learning difficulties, concentrate on a specific task or learning content, and frequently stimulate the neurons responsible for attention management to generate excitement. In this way, the neurons managing other activities will be inhibited. Therefore, strengthening attention can improve the patient’s memory function.
Clinically, stroke patients are eager to master self-brain training methods, but they have no methods. If they master a little method and see the first results, it will stimulate their interest and confidence to exercise. Strong interest can stimulate them to read books related to their disease and constantly use their brain. This functional exercise is very beneficial to the recovery of brain tissue function and the prevention of cerebrovascular dementia.
After using self-brain training methods such as “changing thinking content”, “strengthening attention” and “stimulating interest”, stroke patients can not only perceive the current therapy or recall the past perception, but also imagine the past unperceived things. These are the results of self-brain training.
The necessity of exercising the brain for stroke patients lies in its potential to enhance cognitive function, promote neural plasticity, and facilitate recovery of lost skills. Engaging in brain-stimulating activities can help improve memory, attention, and problem-solving abilities, which are often affected by stroke. Additionally, regular mental exercise can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, providing overall better quality of life for stroke survivors.
Stroke patients can engage in various methods to exercise their brains.
These include:
- Cognitive Training: This involves activities designed to target specific cognitive deficits, such as memory, attention, or processing speed, through repetitive exercises.
- Puzzle Solving: Activities like crossword puzzles, Sudoku, or jigsaw puzzles can stimulate different areas of the brain and improve cognitive flexibility.
- Reading and Writing: Both activities engage multiple cognitive functions, including comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking.
- Learning New Skills: Taking up a new hobby or learning a new language can challenge the brain and promote neuroplasticity.
- Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices can improve focus and reduce stress, which is beneficial for overall brain health.
- Social Interaction: Engaging in conversations and social activities stimulates the brain and can help prevent depression and isolation, common issues among stroke survivors.
- Computer-Based Brain Training Programs: There are various software and apps available that offer structured brain exercises tailored to individual needs.
- Physical Exercise: Regular physical activity not only benefits the body but also stimulates the brain, improving blood flow and potentially enhancing cognitive function.
Each of these methods can be adapted to the individual’s abilities and interests, making brain exercise an integral part of the recovery process.
