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Old 10-06-2014, 05:34 PM
Laupala Laupala is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 214
10 yr Member
Laupala Laupala is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 214
10 yr Member
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I think my point makes at least some sense, although I'm not sure of how they normalize these scores. My understanding is that these tests measure cognitive deficits - I can think of two causes of poor performance relative to my normal baseline, 1 - my brain is injured, and 2 - I'm simply out of practice in working my brain on all cylinders.

I imagine lots of people who take this test have been out of practice in using their brains for months, and this could, to some extent, account for lower scores. My thinking was that brain training games might make the score a more accurate reflection of deficits due to injury, because it somewhat controls for deficits due to disuse.
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26 year-old PhD student in evolutionary biology, slipped on ice in Feb 2014 while clipping my fingernails and walking to save time (dumbest reason for PCS ever?). Initially just had headaches and didn't feel quite right, but a minor head bump 5 days later started a downward spiral of anxiety, depression, insomnia and fatigue. Had trouble concentrating on reading/looking at screens

April 2014 - did exertion test, passed, started exercising and doing more, but didn't feel much better.

May 2014 - Went on backpacking trip OK'd by doctor, trip itself went fine, but felt worse a few days after getting back, more difficulty concentrating, worse headaches.

June 2014 - Bumped head on ceiling walking slowly down stairs, no immediate symptoms, but caused worsening headahces, more difficulty concentrating and looking at screens. Have not felt as good as I did before this since this bump.

December 2014 - after feeling relatively better I went xc skiing and fell but didn't hit my head (something my psychologist who specializes in brain injuries told me he hoped would happen so I saw it was OK), felt worse

Feb 2015 - back in grad school, light teaching load and some research, nowhere close to operating at my full capacity. Still have constant headaches, difficulty reading/looking at screens, mild anxiety and depression, and just not feeling like my normal sharp self.

Trying, but struggling, to believe that I'll get back to my old self, or at least get close.
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