Cognitive Remediation |

Before any behavioral health problems can be effectively managed, it is important to assess the extent of cognitive deficits caused by that particular disorder. ADEONA Healthcare of Rancho San Diego conducts numerous assessments to measure the type and degree of initiated cognitive deficits and undertakes appropriate therapies to help remedy these.

One such therapy that we use is the cognitive remediation therapy. This therapy is a form of treatment modality which is used to alleviate cognitive deficits, which include memory, attention, and executive function disorders. This therapy can have a positive impact on the functional skills of an individual affecting their everyday life. Use of this therapy can improve social and professional integration of patients.

Cognitive Assessment

Comprehensive cognitive assessment does not screen the intelligence of a person, albeit the problems the person is facing. Everybody has strengths and weaknesses. At ADEONA Healthcare, the premise behind our comprehensive cognitive assessment is to investigate and determine the current level of functioning in numerous areas, such as:

Attention and concentration pertaining to the aptitude to focus mentally and physically
Memory as the ability to precisely recollect data from the recent or distant past
Organizational skills pertaining to physical and mental organization and prioritization
Reasoning relating to logic and understanding
Problem solving necessitating creativity and the ability to find solutions
Decision making involving understanding projected outcomes
Executive skills relating to self-discipline, self-control and self-monitoring

A correct assessment facilitates a clinician to design targeted cognitive behavioral rehabilitation exercises for the patients. These exercises help stimulate the growth of new nerve cells or neurons in the areas where deficits are present. For instance, high levels of impulsivity are exhibited by teens who have used excessive amounts of alcohol or drugs. To reduce this impulsivity, cognitive rehabilitation exercises are used to target the areas of the brain responsible for executive skills.

Additional Factors

Numerous factors, comprising lifestyle, nutrition, genetics, and more, impact cognitive function. Additionally, individuals with normal cognitive development can also struggle with cognitive deficits due to factors like head injury, emotional abuse or trauma, drug or alcohol use, exposure to toxins, some diseases and serious mental illnesses.

Luckily, the brain has an extraordinary capacity to heal itself from an injury or an illness. At ADEONA Healthcare, we have dedicated cognitive assessment and cognitive remediation therapy for teens.

Cognitive Remediation Therapy at ADEONA Healthcare

Once a comprehensive assessment is completed, the therapists at ADEONA Healthcare work with the teens to strengthen their skill sets in the required fields. Every time a teen masters a new skill, they progress to learn the next complicated task. The brain of a teen grows with each accomplishment. Listed below are some essential features of cognitive remediation that we focus on.

Nutrition – Nutrition is the foundation of brain health. Therefore, we lay principal focus on this aspect. This is because many American teens suffer from malnutrition because they eat junk food rather than fresh vegetables, fruits and nuts.
Sleep – Good quality sleep is indispensable to the process of brain cell formation and recovery. New information is processed and memories are formed during sleep. Also, each stage of sleep serves an important purpose for brain wellness. Therefore, we use multiple interventions to manage insomnia and restore normal sleep patterns in teens.
Neurobics – These are computer-based programs and games used to exercise different parts of the brain to improvise cognitive functions.
Exercise – It is already a known fact that exercise enhances cognitive function in patients suffering from a brain injury or struggling with a mental illness. It provides oxygen and nutrients to the brain, improves blood circulation, and helps in the excretion of toxins from the brain cells.
Experiential therapy – Experiential therapy is an expressive therapeutic modality which uses art, props, animals, etc. to relive and reenact prior experiences. This therapy enables a person to identify emotions linked with success, responsibility, disappointment, and self-esteem. Under the mentorship of a trained therapist, one can begin releasing and exploring negative feelings of anger, shame, and hurt of the past which had been blocked until now.

About ADEONA Healthcare

ADEONA Healthcare of Rancho San Diego is committed to help teenagers aged 12-17 grappling with substance use disorder, mental health disorders and co-occurring disorders. We have a team of skilled and compassionate professionals who understand the special requirements of teens and customize their treatment programs accordingly.

To know more about the treatment plans offered at ADEONA Healthcare, call our 24/7 hotline (888) 379-9360. You may even chat online with our representative to understand how the ADEONA Healthcare facility works to ensure that your teen not only recovers but also heals.