New concussion book: The Ghost in My Brain
 

I just finished listening to the audiobook version of a new concussion book called "The Ghost in my Brain: How a concussion stole my life and how the new science of brain plasticity helped me get it back" by Clark Elliott, PhD, a professor of artificial intelligence. He suffered a relatively minor concussion from a car accident that left him with symptoms as bad as I've heard about for 8 years, until he started seeing 2 professionals, a developmental optometrist who gave him a series of glasses over the course of a few years, and a cognitive psychologist who gave him a progression of brain puzzles.

He now considers himself essentially fully recovered, after 8 years of truly debilitating symptoms. Aside from being a very hopeful story, this book is a fascinatingly detailed portrayal of how the mind works, and how things can go wrong after a concussion. It also has a very clear explanation of the science and reasoning behind prism and other corrective lenses, and goes through in detail how his doctor prescribed them. As someone who has had prism lenses prescribed (without much benefit), it the diagnostic tests and attention to detail of his doctor in prescribing his series of glasses was well above and beyond what I experienced.

Worth a read or listen if you're interested.

I have been reading up on prism glasses and I really want to go see a neuro-opthalmologist to get checked out, but it seems they're rather rare. Surprisingly couldn't find one in my area, and I live in Austin, TX which is a well known big city.

Look for a behavioral optometrist. You may find help there. Google behavioral optometrist Austin. You'll find plenty.

My prism glasses are the closest thing I've had to an improvement in 3.5 years. Just got them in January and since I put them on, I no longer need a cane to get around and keep me from falling. Now if I take them off, all improvements are lost and my balance and gait are all messed up again.

My eye doc says the benefits should "hold" for a while after removal, but so far, not for me. So, I just try to remember to always have them on, unless I'm asleep.

Now if I could just kick this flu... being feverish for 6 days in this heat and humidity is brutal.
Starr

Where did you get the audio book, I cannot read for long periods and love audiobooks, did you use an app of some sort?

I am currently listening to the concussion crisis, which is interesting in its own way

Forget I asked! Found it.

I use audible, they have an app for your phone that's really easy to use. I've also used iTunes for a couple audiobooks, but audible's app is way better.

is anyone thinking of giving those clinicians a try (the ones described in the book) or do you guys think that this is a one off case and they are just milking this now for publicity?

Hi folks, I was injured in 2004. I saw neuro ophthalmologist and had botulinum injected into eye muscles and got prism. It helped with the double vision enough for me to get to legally drive!
I still struggle with night driving, I cannot cope in snow or heavy rain as my left eye follows whatever is 'shiniest or moving fastest' in those circumstances I can wear an eye patch.
I struggle with balance in places where there are crowds of moving people especially, geometric patterns on the floor and uneven surfaces.
I see them whenever my normal optician measures the deviation is more than 20 and the I can get injections again.
It makes life interesting though 😉👍