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1.Neuropsychologist: Starting over after brain injury

- April 04, 2009

Apr. 4--CHICO -- When a person suffers a mild traumatic brain injury, it usually leaves him or her with new challenges. When that person already has emotional problems, the challenges are greater.

"(Emotional) Diseases should be sorted out by a therapist or psychologist," said Ronald M. Ruff, Ph.D. to a full conference room at Chico Family Masonic Center. "But a brain injury can cause a personality change."

However and to whomever it happens, a brain injury is a lot for a person to handle.

Ruff visited Chico March 25 to lead a workshop designed to increase community awareness and understanding of mild traumatic brain injury. Ruff is an expert in the field of neurobehavioral recovery from brain trauma. He works as a clinical neuropsychologist and rehabilitation psychologist in San Francisco, and is involved in a broad range of research projects.

Ruff said mood, anxiety and adjustment disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and pain disorder can make living with MTBI more difficult.

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2.Sleep may help clear brain for learning

- April 03, 2009

ST. LOUIS, Apr 3, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Sleep, already recognized as a promoter of long-term memories, also helps clear room in the brain for new learning, U.S. researchers said.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis said neurologists believe creation of new synapses is one key way the brain encodes memories and learning.

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