Brain Training Combats Learning Problems Caused by Concussions

Today’s medical research continues to uncover evidence of the damage caused by cumulative concussions. Concussions are especially concerning for young athletes since the brain doesn’t fully mature until at least the mid-20s so any damage during its development can have a significant impact on cognition and day-to-day functioning.

While one concussion doesn’t typically do permanent harm, repeated concussions, especially in close succession, can. There can be long-term neurological impairments in memory, problem solving, processing speed and attention.

One area company, LearningRx, is working intensely with student athletes to help them strengthen their brains’ neurological pathways to combat the effects of concussion damage. For more information on the company’s programs, call 262-395-2250 or visit www.learningrx.com/milwaukee-brookfield.

“Through our intense brain training exercises, we can stimulate the brain to make new connections between neurons and to grow more synapses and better utilize its existing ones. Synapses are the pathways between neurons and play a key role in memory and other important cognitive functions,” says Kevin Pasqua, owner and executive director of LearningRx, which is located at 21075 Swenson Dr., Waukesha.

LearningRx begins by performing an assessment using noninvasive cognitive tests to measure specific brain skills like memory, logic, reasoning, attention and processing speed, among others.

“Once we know which skills are the weakest, we provide one-on-one training using powerful exercises and timed drills to strengthen those brain skills and rebuild connections in the brain,” says Pasqua. “We tap into the plasticity of the brain to increase its functions.”

According to Pasqua, there are several symptoms parents should watch for that are indicative of a concussion – inability to remember the immediate past (before or after the injury), confusion, delayed reflexes, impaired judgment, slurred speech, impaired balance, decreased coordination, dizziness, nausea, ringing in the ears, headache, sleep disruptions, blurred vision, irritability, sensitivity to light, loss of smell or taste and difficulty concentrating.

“What parents may not know is that athletes should get a cognitive baseline so they have something against which to compare their cognitive skills measurements in the event they DO get a concussion,” says Pasqua.

For more information on LearningRx’s programs, call 262-395-2250 or visit www.learningrx.com/milwaukee-brookfield.

Kevin and Jill Pasqua opened LearningRx in Brookfield in February 2013. For nearly 30 years, Kevin was an executive with Johnson Controls who led business divisions in Japan, the United States and Canada. Jill is a certified public accountant with 15 years experience and was with Johnson Controls before becoming an entrepreneur with her husband.

Two years before opening the LearningRx Brookfield location, the Pasquas experienced the positive impact of one-on-one brain training. Throughout grade school, their 10-year-old son had been an inconsistent learner. He was smart but had trouble in a number of subjects and struggled with reading and focus. After researching numerous options, the Pasquas decided to try the LearningRx approach. Their son completed an intense, 24-week LearningRx program that delivered dramatic results. He is now an avid reader who’s consistently in the top of his class and is confident in the classroom.