Last Friday, November 25, the I Conference on Sudden Brain Injury took place in Castilla-La Mancha, promoted by the Ministry of Health and the Iguala3 association.
The conference was attended by expert professionals in this field, such as Dr. Antonio Yusta, head of neurology at the Integrated Care Management of Guadalajara (SESCAM), whose work at the Institute of Neurological Diseases of Castilla-La Mancha was focuses on the rehabilitation of people with Brain Injury.
The presentation by Aurora Lassaletta, clinical psychologist and author of the book “Invisible Brain Injury” and president of the Invisible Brain Injury Association, highlighted the importance of the sequelae that often go unnoticed after a brain injury. “People think that physical improvement brings general improvement, but neurological fatigue or blockages in crowded places linger years after a head injury,” said Lassaletta, who suffered a traffic accident in 2004. He currently chairs the Damage Association Invisible Brain, whose objective is to improve the situation of the group of people with Sudden Brain Injury, through the awareness of society.
The associative movement, represented by Patricia Perona from the CERES Foundation, Jimena Solano from ADACE CLM and Daniel Sánchez from Iguala3, was present at a table on good practices and detected needs. The Conference was closed by Dr. Yolanda Pérez, a neuropsychologist at the National Hospital for Paraplegics, whose presentation dealt with the primary prevention of Brain Damage. “Everyone prefers not to have a stroke, rather than overcome a stroke. For this reason, primary prevention is essential”, according to Dr. Pérez.
Ms. Maite Marín, General Director of Humanization and Social Health Care, inaugurated the 1st Seminar on Sudden Brain Injury in Castilla-La Mancha, accompanied by the General Director of Disability, Javier Pérez, and by the Neuropsychologist and Managing Director of Iguala3, Daniel Sanchez. The Community Board stressed the importance of working for a group that in our region represents more than 20,000 people.
The general conclusions of the I Conference revolve around the need to implement more specific care resources for Sudden Brain Injury, especially after the acute (hospital) phase, upon medical discharge. At a more specific level, the need to inform families from the hospital phase, to have self-help groups, and to integrate neuropsychological care with care from clinical psychology was indicated. In addition, the need to humanize care for the group of people with DCS and their families was underlined, as well as the importance of developing projects in the rural environment, to reach the people who still inhabit the emptied Spain.
Stroke is the leading cause -not the only one- of Sudden Brain Injury in developed countries. It is also the leading cause of death for women in Spain, according to data from the Spanish Society of Neurology. Often, a brain injury involves sequelae that reduce the functionality of the person. Depending on the location of the lesion in the brain, there may be motor difficulties, sensitivity alterations, communication problems, or changes that affect decision-making, impulse control… or the way of being. “My husband is someone else” or “my daughter has been changed” are phrases that many family members can express.
SOURCE: iguala3.org
