Environmental Enrichment: Recovering from a Traumatic Brain Injury

The amount and quality of stimulation one receives after suffering a traumatic brain injury can impact the rate and level of a victim’s recovery.  This is the finding of a study recently published in the medical journal, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.  “Environmental enrichment” refers to the cognitive, physical, and social stimulation an individual derives from his or her environment.  The concept also considers how the structure of a victim’s environment can promote maximum participation by him or her.

In the weeks and months following a traumatic brain injury, victims can experience brain deterioration, which is correlated with changes in behavior, including depression.

This study found that there is evidence to suggest that the more engaged a traumatic brain injury victim is with his or her environment, the better the person’s chances are of staving off or mitigating some of this decline.