A number of brain injuries you should be aware of

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Dr. Curtis Cripe has a lot of experience under his belt, and he is also quite an expert in several things all at once. For this blog, he shares about one of the topics he is most knowledgeable in, which is brain injuries. Here are some examples that are worth knowing.

Concussion

Concussions are not to be taken lightly, as this type of injury has caused difficulties and impairments in the brain function that could last a lifetime. This happens when the brain receives trauma from an impact or a sudden momentum or movement change. Internally, the blood vessels in the brain may stretch and cranial nerves may be damaged. According to Dr. Curtis Cripe, this has serious repercussions for the affected individual. Even the force that boxers and football players inflict on opponents have been known to cause concussions.

Coup-Contrecoup

Not to be confused with a concussion is a contusion, which is understood as a bruise that causes bleeding on the brain. A Coup-Contrecoup injury is a complex type of injury, because this is characterized by a contusion at the site of the impact and at the complete opposite side of the brain. The second contusion is a result of the brain slamming into the opposite side of the skull.

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Diffuse Axonal

A Diffuse Axonal injury is typically a result of a strong and abrupt movement of the head, where rotational forces are involved, notes Dr. Curtis Cripe. The most common cause of this condition is car accidents. The principle of inertia is always at work, often understood as the tendency of anything with mass to resist a sudden change in motion. In the case of this injury, the skull moves and the brain lags behind, causing some of its structures to tear.

Dr. Curtis Cripe has a diverse background in neuroengineering, aerospace engineering, psychology, psychophysiology, software development and programming, addiction recovery, brain injury, and child neurodevelopment. He established the Crossroads Institute, which utilizes telemedicine brain training delivery systems to assist children with developmental and learning disorders and provide programs for adults with a wide range of psychological problems, including addiction and traumatic brain injury. For related topics, please visit this page.

What draws a person to drugs?

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For many who have maintained a clean slate and remained unblemished by any form of drug use in their lifetime, it is not uncommon to wonder what draws a person to drugs. Maybe that puts them in a position to help out rather than pass judgment on another. According to Dr. Curtis Cripe, understanding drug users is one of the biggest keys to helping them get out of the bad habit permanently.

A common trend in individuals who get into drugs is that they want to change something about their lives. Research has shown that people first get into drugs for the following reasons:

• To fit in and find a sense of belongingness
• To exercise independence and claim maturity
• To experiment out of curiosity
• To escape from a source of stress
• To rebel or protest against something

The first instance that a drug dependent takes drugs is not always seriously motivated, shares Dr. Curtis Cripe. However, the problem with drugs is that it gets addictive. This goes on to the point that taking drugs brings a sense of comfort to the person who gets into it.

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Through frequent use of drugs, the individual digs a deeper hole. They no longer need any stimulus or external factor to draw them to their particular choice of drug. As their own body gets poisoned by the chemicals they take in, so does their mind.

At some point, the person does not think rationally anymore. They are only motivated by one thing alone: the craving for the high that drugs bring to them, which leads them to the darkest moment along their path to drug use.

Dr. Curtis Cripe encourages anyone related to a drug addict, in any way at all, to be mindful of these facts if they truly want to help the person out.

Curtis Cripe, Ph.D., hails from a multidisciplinary academic and professional background that includes addiction and psychophysiology. He is the director of research and development at the NTL Group, a company specializing in neuroengineering programs to diagnose and treat a wide array of neurological dysfunctions. For more related articles, visit this page.

How virtual reality is used in rehabilitation

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Virtual reality’s ability to simulate environments may play a role in rehabilitating patients with neurological issues. According to a study made by a team of medical researchers based in Singapore, VR can help patients suffering from balance and gait problems by helping them rehabilitate fine motor skills in these key areas.

The study focused on a group of 167 patients over three years using a wide array of virtual reality headsets and environments. Aside from balance and gait, the medical practitioners tested the patients for key areas in terms of movement like cognitive dual task load balance confidence. The researchers did not lump any of the patients into groups, but they commonly suffered from Parkinson’s Disease, post-stroke disorder, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis.

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After using many of the devices to give each patient a tailored treatment using virtual reality therapy, the researchers reported positive results. According to their findings, the patients developed better balance confidence, limited their dual task cost while walking, and improved their balance and gait. Although this is no indication that long-term VR treatment may provide patients with better benefits, the results bode well for this type of therapy and for patients with these kinds of issues.

As such, the researchers advise that VR therapy be used as one of the clinical approaches for treating these motor issues. Here’s hoping that more and more clinics and hospitals adopt this new technology.

Dr. Curtis Cripeis currently working in a White House-NASA committee during the pandemic. His committee has been asked to spearhead long-term and on-going TeleHealth and TeleMedicine protocols and procedures that can be followed during the current and future Pandemics as well as TeleMedicine and TeleHealth even after the COVID-19 diminishes. Dr. Curtis Cripe is a brain development expert and a former engineer at NASA.

Understanding what makes telemedicine effective

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Telemedicine has gained so much attention today, which is why people need to be made aware of what makes it an effective tool to use. In a nutshell, telemedicine is a practice that involves diagnosis between a doctor and a patient that takes place online by using devices that connect over a network. Dr. Curtis Cripe describes his expertise in this blog.

1. Easy access to competent professionals

Today, there is a growing preference for easy-access healthcare over in-person interactions with healthcare providers. The market is more accepting of the fact that not all diagnosis necessarily needs face to face interaction between doctor and patient. Should patients really need to have an actual visit, this can be determined in the telemedicine session.

2. Convenience

In the healthcare industry, convenience is key. At the end of a traditional consultation, the doctor often charges a professional fee, and the patient needs to purchase what the doctor prescribes. According to Dr. Curtis Cripe, what people fail to account in a normal doctor’s appointment is the other costs that the patient incurs to commute to and from the clinic. Traveling and waiting in line can demand a lot of time and energy, too.

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3. Increased patient engagement

Because of its convenience, patients would tend be more engaged. A significant number of physicians can attest to patients being inconsistent with keeping their follow-up appointments in the traditional practice. Certainly, this affects their overall health progress. With virtual care, this problem is addressed quite well. The use of online management systems can also serve as reliable documentation tools as well, keeping patients even more engaged, shares Dr. Curtis Cripe.

Dr. Curtis Cripe heads the research and development teams as developer of Cognitive Repair for Brain Disorders technology. His committee has been tasked to spearhead the use of telemedicine as a solution during this time of pandemic, and even after the COVID-19 diminishes. For more information, visit this page

Depression: The silent killer

To some people, depression is understood and associated with a mere feeling of sadness that brings a person to a low-spirited disposition. To this point, people might loosely say that they are “depressed,” even if they are simply expressing disappointment over something minor, like when they open their fridge and find out that they are out of ice cream. The truth is that depression is a far graver issue.

Dr. Curtis Cripe has studied extensively on the topic, and he brings our attention to what the professionals mean when they talk about depression in the clinical sense. Depression is a disease of the mind, which is referred to as the silent killer, because it makes a person lose himself and his own self-worth.

It isn’t easy to spot a person who is dealing with clinical depression. This is especially true because coping mechanisms for sadness often compel a person to appear normal on the outside, at times when others are around to see them. Fake smiles act as artificial masks to people who have already reached the point of depression, even if they are chaotic deep inside. They typically don’t want to reveal their true feelings for fear of being ridiculed.

One more harsh truth about depression is that not many people are aware that they have it, Dr. Curtis Cripe shares. Brain chemistry imbalances and hormonal shifts combined with a host of other factors can lead to depression, and in extreme cases, suicide. It’s not uncommon for people to shrug things off as mere sad thoughts and think that they’re just having a bad day, just like everyone does from time to time.

For this reason, it is healthy to have oneself assessed periodically by a competent mental health professional, just to see if any intervention is necessary.

Dr. Curtis Cripe, Ph.D., hails from a multidisciplinary academic and professional background that includes aerospace engineering and psychophysiology. He is the director of research and development at the NTL Group, a company that specializes in neuroengineering programs to diagnose and treat a wide array of neurological dysfunctions. Visit this page for more details.

Psychological troubles in the time of COVID-19

It is easy for everyone to think that the only problem in front of us today is the Corona virus and its direct impact on our health and safety. All of a sudden, personal protection equipment, social distancing, and community quarantines, occupy as space in our collective consciousness. For Dr. Curtis Cripe, a host of psychological problems have also crept into our lives slowly but surely.

In more than a few cases, cabin fever has hijacked the home environment today. Cabin fever describes the psychological symptoms that people commonly experience after being trapped inside their home for prolonged periods of time. Nowadays, people are running on a short fuse as they become more restless, irritable, and lonely.

There has been an alarming spike in suicides and suicide attempts that have a strong correlation with home restrictions. Somehow, being backed into a very narrow corner has caused some people to view the loss of their own lives as a better alternative to grinding it out on a daily basis, not knowing if they will even make it far enough to outlive the virus.

Anxiety has reached an all-time high, and this has shown huge signs. People are eating less, not really because they wish to starve themselves, but because they have lost their appetites.

Sometimes people have even reached the point of depression, which is arguably one of the most tragic psychological conditions around, simply because it is too silent that it escapes even the closest people to any given individual who is suffering from it.

Dr. Curtis Cripe cautions us to be mindful of how this pandemic is causing us all of this pain, both physical and psychological. The latter has established a strong foothold in our daily lives today.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is a neuroengineer with a diverse multidisciplinary background that includes software development, bioengineering, addiction recovery, psychophysiology, psychology, brain injury, and child neurodevelopment. He is part of a White House-NASA initiative created to spearhead telemedicine during this time of pandemic. Dr. Curtis Cripe is also the Research and Development lead at the NTL group.

What to do if you have COVID-19-like symptoms

As we approach our fifth month dealing with the outbreak of COVID-19, it is apparent that this pandemic isn’t going away anytime soon. While multiple countries including the US are working on a vaccine, Dr. Curtis Cripe believes that people shouldn’t rely on it and should learn how to care for patients with COVID-19 instead. And it all begins with knowing what to do if you have COVID-19-like symptoms.

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The first symptoms of COVID-19 are a high fever, dry cough, and a general feeling of tiredness. If you first exhibit these symptoms, you should self-isolate yourself for a minimum of 14 days before coming into contact with other people or go out of your house. Other less common symptoms include body pains and aches, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste and smell, conjunctivitis, and skin rashes or discoloration in the fingers and toes.

During your self-isolation, you could ask family members to look after you. If this is the case, you should have your own isolated quarters such as your bedroom. Whenever interacting with a caregiver, both parties should be wearing face masks in order to prevent the spread of the disease. Have your clothes and eating apparatuses cleaned and disinfected after every use.

As you self-isolate, you should be mindful of your symptoms and inform your caregiver of any new symptoms that arise. According to Dr. Curtis Cripe, if you experience trouble breathing, inability to stay awake, persistent pain or pressure in your chest, and bluish face or lips, ask that you be taken to the nearest medical facility immediately.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is a neuroengineer with a diverse multidisciplinary background that includes software development, bioengineering, addiction recovery, psychophysiology, psychology, brain injury, and child neurodevelopment. Dr. Curtis Cripe was asked to participate in a White House - NASA committee for TeleHealth/TeleMedicine during the COVID-19. His committee has been asked to spear head long term and on-going TeleHealth and TeleMedicine protocols and procedures that can be followed during the current and future Pandemics as well as TeleMedicine and TeleHealth even after the COVID-19 diminishes. The committee proposals have been accepted and is now moving forward Internationally with UN participation. Visit this website for more reads on COVID-19.

Caring for people with ASD during the coronavirus

If the changes brought on by COVID-19 is especially difficult for "normal" people, what more to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder? People with ASD can lead normal lives as long as there's routine, according to Dr. Curtis Cripe. With many of businesses and institutions caught in a standstill due to the pandemic, these routines that give these persons a degree of functioning have been compromised. Here's advice on how to help people with ASD during this time.

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In response to these times, you will need an emergency plan in case the primary caregiver or the person with ASD gets sick. A plan involves a list of contacts and resources. Make sure you attach pictures to this list aside from their numbers and color coding to appeal to someone with ASD.

After making sure you have an emergency plan, you will need to establish a new routine. The routine should share commonalities with their own normal routine while incorporating different sensory and behavioral activities. You should also establish cues about activity times so they can easily pivot and adjust. Your interventions should also involve the physical environment, like putting labels on things and making a space for certain types of activities, adds Dr. Curtis Cripe.

Of course, you should also seek resources and your community online as you push on with your developmental goals with your loved one who has ASD.

Dr. Curtis Cripeis currently working in a White House-NASA committee during the pandemic. His committee has been asked to spearhead long-term and on-going TeleHealth and TeleMedicine protocols and procedures that can be followed during the current and future Pandemics as well as TeleMedicine and TeleHealth even after the COVID-19 diminishes. Dr. Curtis Cripe is a brain development expert and a former engineer at NASA.

Neurodevelopment and beyond: When children have bad dreams

One of the fascinating things that can happen to people occurs in their dreams. When people sleep, the body rests, but the mind at times goes to places the body otherwise would have never reached. However, the opposite can also happen. Sometimes, dreams can be quite scary and downright terrifying. While this can be jarring even for the most courageous of adults, one can only imagine the effect on children.

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Dr. Curtis Cripe mentions that what magnifies nightmares for children is that at a young age, they still have issues telling the waking and dream worlds apart. This is still a huge question mark in science and the research of dreams, but parents will be able to help their child when the latter wakes up in tears.

But before anything else, Dr. Curtis Cripe mentions that parents should never dismiss their children’s dreams. Doing so may have a negative effect on children, especially since some nightmares may impact how a child perceives the world and, ultimately, their behavior. That said, parents should also learn how to approach a child without making things worse.

Psychologists and therapists have come up with ways in which parents may help children confront the situation. Children may be asked to draw their dreams, with these drawings becoming topics of conversation later. Another way is to reinforce the belief in children that they are safe with their parents at all times, Dr. Curtis Cripe adds.

However, mental health experts mention that if children cannot let go of their dreams and they seem bothered throughout the day, parents should take the next step and bring them to a child psychiatrist.

Dr. Curtis Cripeis a neuroengineer with a diverse multidisciplinary background that includes software development, bioengineering, addiction recovery, psychophysiology, psychology, brain injury, and child neurodevelopment. For more updates on neurological disorders, visit this blog.

The link between physical trauma and drug addiction

Over the years, law enforcement together with doctors, researchers, scientists, therapists, and mental health professionals have recognized a lot of “gateways” into drug addiction. From cannabis to alcoholic beverages to pain killers, these seemingly less serious substances have led people into harder drugs such as crack, cocaine, and heroin.

In today’s blog, Dr. Curtis Cripe explores a rather unconventional gateway to drug addiction— trauma. It is important to note that while psychological and physical trauma are not substances that a person can take like marijuana or hard liquor, their effects are similar when it comes to leading a person into addiction and abuse.

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One of life’s most tragic realities is that many children experience physical and psychological trauma. From beatings to sexual assault, to witnessing violence between their parents, to even having to go through their parents’ divorce if a marriage becomes messy, all these events can have life-long effects on children.

People with childhood trauma who are not lucky enough to get therapy and treatment seek other ways to cope with the memories of their experiences. And as they grow older, they find ways to alter their consciousness through substances such as alcohol and medication, and then harder and more dangerous drugs.

A great deal of people in the world have been changed for the worse because of childhood trauma. And a huge percentage of drug addicts cite psychological and physical trauma early on in their lives as among the main factors that led them to substance abuse, Dr. Curtis Cripe adds.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is the head of research and development at the NTL Group, which specializes in the creation of neuroengineering programs for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders. For more reads on neurology, go to this page.

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The main difference between Asperger’s and autism spectrum disorder

For most people, distinguishing Asperger’s and autism spectrum disorder or ASD can be difficult. We in the science community continue discovering new aspects of neurological disorders that definitions tend to change often, especially for relatively new diseases. Dr. Curtis Cripe states that people need to have a clear idea of the two neurological disorders as mistaking one for the other can raise serious concerns.

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Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological condition where the brain’s development is hindered, which causes problems in social interaction and communication. Medical experts use the term spectrum because ASD refers to a wide range of different symptoms with varying severities. Aside from leading to difficulty in communication and social interaction, ASD can also show repetitive patterns of behavior in people suffering from it.

As for Asperger’s Disorder, people who suffer from the condition, unlike those with ASD, want to have social interaction with other people but don’t know how to do it. They are described as socially awkward and have poor understanding of social conventions, may lack empathy, or find it difficult to read social cues.

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One would easily mistake Asperger’s with the first level of the ASD spectrum, which is often described as manifesting in people with high functioning autism. What makes it easy to distinguish Asperger’s from ASD is the fact that there is no delay when it comes to speech and communication in Asperger’s patients.

Because of the nature of Asperger’s, it has been added and removed or reclassified as being part of the spectrum of ASD. Due to the nature of neurological diseases and disorders, Dr. Curtis Cripe believes that there is still much to learn about neurological disorders, how they can be treated, and how people can better manage them.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is a multidisciplinary neuroengineer and aerospace engineer whose diverse background includes software development, bioengineering, addiction recovery, psychophysiology, psychology, brain injury, and child neurodevelopment. To know more about Dr. Cripe, visit this website.

What to do after detecting autism in children

The symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can sometimes be difficult to spot at earlier stages. These include problems in language comprehension, delay in speaking, abnormal tone of voice, inappropriate social interaction, and poor eye contact. It may even take another person to suspect something. According to neuroengineering expert Dr. Curtis Cripe, parents should have their children tested for ASD if they suspect anything because catching it at an early stage can make a big difference.

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Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, parents should prepare. And, more importantly, they shouldn’t let the disorder intimidate them. They should find the time to learn all about ASD, what changes in their lifestyle are expected, and what can be done.

Also, some parents tend to blame themselves because of the genetic anomaly of ASD. Your child is still the same blessing you had since day one and nothing changes that fact. It’s not the end of the world and there are truly wonderful stories out there regarding people with ASD and the leaps and bounds they are able to make despite the situation.

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Lastly, some parents look at ASD as a life-threatening disease like cancer. However, it is a brain disorder, not a disease and many proven therapies can help. While it is indeed life-changing, Dr. Curtis Cripe believes that it doesn’t mean that your child should be treated anything other than a loved one growing up and discovering the world, just like any other kid.

Dr. Curtis Cripeis a multidisciplinary neuroengineer and aerospace engineer whose diverse work background includes software development, bioengineering, addiction recovery, psychophysiology, psychology, brain injury, and child neurodevelopment. To know more about Dr. Cripe and his expertise, visit thiswebsite.