The Ghost in My Brain (29 page)

numbers, 134–38, 141–43, 158–59, 253

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), 68–69

olfactory information, 146–47, 149, 159.
See also
smell

optometrists, xvi–xvii, 226, 242, 248, 258, 260.
See also
neuro-optometric rehabilitation; Zelinsky, Dr. Deborah

ordering, 265

of colors, 137–38

of events/time, 116–18, 121–22

of numbers, 134–38, 141–43

Padula, William V., 250

pain, 33, 35–36

caused by sound, 41, 99, 149, 159, 172–76, 296–97

caused by thinking, 8, 40, 98, 140, 156–59, 165, 193, 247–48

coping with, 55, 157, 177

in head, 28–30, 40–41, 98, 140, 156–59, 189, 257, 279

improvement in, 295

in neck, 28, 40, 156–57, 257

from sensory overload, 148–49

parenting, 6, 37, 52–54, 58–61, 105, 112, 117, 130, 143, 145, 196–200, 224, 275, 282

pattern matching, 58, 60, 64, 69, 72, 78, 87, 119, 124, 174

phonemes, 81, 163, 165, 167

phonosensitivity, 29–30, 172

phoropter, 214, 254–55, 259, 262, 287–88, 293

planning, difficulty with, 4, 15–16, 23, 28, 43, 62, 66, 69, 72, 90, 95, 114–15, 117–18, 120–24, 178, 260, 262

post-concussion syndrome (PCS), xii, 10, 69, 194

problem solving, xii, 6, 37, 48, 53, 74, 77–78, 93, 101–3, 130–31, 140, 142, 185, 230, 241, 255, 260, 292–93, 295

proprioception, 85–86, 244

proprioceptive

information, 146–47

sense, 185

signals, 257

system, 85–86

puzzles, xii–xiii, 24, 130, 205–6, 225–27, 229–30, 236, 241

reading, 31, 34, 36, 40, 49, 272–73, 279

reasoning, 82, 122, 132, 136, 169, 185, 222, 238, 241, 255, 293.
See also
problem solving

recovery, xii–xiii, xv–xvii, 180, 187, 190, 242, 277

beginning stages of, 215–20, 264–76

and calm feeling, 271, 273–76, 281, 283–84, 286, 288, 291, 293

challenges of, xviii, 281–82

completion of, 294

exercises for, 228–41

and eyeglasses, 225–26, 281

feeling human again, 109, 219, 222–24, 267, 294

and the “Ghost,” 55, 109, 222–24, 263–64, 266–67, 297

hope for, 178, 201, 209, 211

and improved brain functions, 222–24, 275–76, 285

and improved hearing, 216–22, 224, 264

life after, 108, 159, 180, 293

no hope for, xiii, 48, 139, 192–95, 209, 248

and reconfiguring brain, 262–63

regression during, 277–80, 282

See also
eyeglasses; Markus, Dr. Donalee; Zelinsky, Dr. Deborah

rehabilitation, xx

centers, 54, 126, 193, 216

neuro-optometric, 212–13, 226

neurodevelopmental, 226, 242

research

on “brain eyeglasses,” xvii, 225–26

on brain plasticity, xx, 200–1, 294

on concussion, 194

on traumatic brain injury, 200–1

right side.
See
left and right sides

Roberts, Declan, 12

rules, following of, 140, 160–62, 239–41, 275

running, 184, 189–91, 252

Ryle, Gilbert, xxiii, 111

scheduling, difficulty with, 117, 122, 124

Seau, Junior, 124

self, loss of, xxii, 70, 90

self-reflection, 126

sensory

activities, 61

breakdowns, 57, 76, 78, 109

changes, 263

filters, 6, 46, 76, 78, 99, 144, 147, 158, 165, 172, 176–77, 181–83, 185, 193, 199, 206, 243

input, xii, 45–46, 55, 87, 90, 106, 144, 158–59, 165, 176–77, 198–99, 250, 297

integration, 262

overload, 64, 90, 99, 147–49, 156, 158–59, 183, 250

processing, xvi

systems, 244

serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI), 194

sexuality, 273

shopping, 57–59, 65, 95–100, 174–76, 250, 263

sleep

disturbances, xxi, 17–18, 26, 31, 39, 52, 102–6, 278–79

improvement in, 273

paralysis, 104–5

and retinal signals, 243

smell, 29, 90, 129, 149.
See also
olfactory information

social challenges, xx, 31, 61–62, 79, 149, 165, 167–69, 174–80, 186, 189, 196, 276, 283

sound, 109, 132, 142–43, 183, 259, 278

causes pain, 41, 149, 159, 172–76

having an ear for, 217–19

and music, 106–7, 217–22, 272, 284

and synesthesia, 137–38

unfiltered, 99, 129

visualizing of, 218, 284

and wearing glasses, 217–22, 261

and words, 38, 76–77, 79, 163–65, 198–99

spatial, 166, 241

cognition, 248

hearing, 158

images, 62, 67, 87

orientation, 251–52

relationships, 117–18

sense, 61–63, 93, 98–99, 139, 291

See also
visual/spatial

speech

of children, 198–99

difficulties with, 20, 33–34, 38, 45, 79–82, 87, 99, 142–43, 166–70, 198–99, 208

improvement in, 223

real-time processing of, 163–66, 199, 223

See also
audio: slowness; communication; linguistics

spiritual faith, 107–9, 111–12, 195, 224, 295

sports injuries, xix–xx, 55, 192, 253

Starkey, David, 12

suicide, 70–72

Super, Dr. Selwyn, 254

symbolic

cognitive functioning, 141, 236

images, 164

internal vision, 221–22

meaning, 185, 198–99

processing, 197, 266–67

reasoning, 241

representation, 138–39, 184

resources, 119

visual field, 290

visualizations, 238

“working space,” 290

symbols, 117, 137–39, 143, 185, 271

and audio stream, 168–70

from childhood memories, 266–67

construction of, 93–94

and directional sense, 101

internal world of, 255

manipulation of, 128, 157, 248

mental, 144, 238, 292

visual, 147–48, 184, 241

See also
thought: symbols of

symptoms

freedom from, 295

giving in to, 195–96, 200

hiding of, 37, 61, 99, 152–54, 171, 271

management of, 16, 49, 52–55, 57, 59, 61–63, 102, 117, 123–24, 130–31, 139–40, 160, 177, 193, 195–96

over-vigilance, 60, 168, 178, 223, 274, 276, 279

people's reactions to, 171–80

permanent, 34, 54–55, 61, 189, 193

persistence of, 10, 267

personality oddities, xxi

undiagnosed, xiii, xx

See also
specific types

synesthesia, 137–38, 144, 148

teaching, 21–22, 31, 37, 47, 51–52, 63, 86, 130, 184, 194, 197, 200, 210, 217, 223–24, 238, 282, 295–96.
See also
DePaul University

tests

for brain assessment, 130–44

diagnostic, xi–xii, xvii, 33, 44–47, 54, 126, 193–94, 206–9, 228

for neuro-optometric rehabilitation, 214, 248–60, 276–77, 286–88, 292–94

and prism goggles, 251–52

for vision, 260, 276–77, 287, 292–94

Zelinsky's Z-Bell, xvii, 258–59, 262, 270, 293

Thomas, Suzanne, 12

thought, xii, 5, 84, 111, 228–29, 266

and balance, 87, 93–94

building blocks of, 205

causes pain, 8, 40, 140, 156–59, 165, 193

and eye motion, 158, 245

“fuzzy,” 291–92

improvement in, 223, 241, 294

processes of, 20, 73–83, 115, 118, 131, 133–37

symbols of, 94, 104, 155, 159, 177, 183, 185, 222, 244

translated into action, 62

visual, 103–4, 158

and visual symbols, 259, 266–67, 294

See also
daemons (thought processes)

thrashing, 98, 263

time, 5, 8–9, 24, 28–30, 106, 113–19, 120–24, 126, 143, 159, 164–65, 169–70, 199, 223, 274

traumatic brain injury (TBI), xii, xix–xxi, xx, 10, 54–55, 69–72, 87, 130–31, 205, 219, 228, 230, 246–47, 249–53.
See also
brain injury; concussion

treatment, xx, xxiii, 34

effective, 105, 108, 225–26, 248

lack of, 194, 248

and medical insurance, 48

search for, 39–48, 54–55, 70, 123, 126, 180, 192–94, 200–1

See also
eyeglasses; neuro-optometric rehabilitation; recovery; tests

University of Leicester, 12

vestibular system, 7, 84–87, 192

veterans, xix

vision, 106

and balance, 79, 86

binocular, 254–55, 287

center field of, xv–xvi, 97–98, 237, 242–44, 249–50, 256, 260, 263, 277, 291

complex process of, 242–48

improvement in, 241

internal, 141, 221–22, 239, 250

loss of, 189

musical, 221–22

peripheral, xvi, 96, 223, 237, 242–45, 250, 255–57, 260, 262, 274, 277, 288

stereo, 253–55

See also
3D; eyeglasses; eyes; tests

visual

cortex, xxiv, 89, 129, 229, 242–48, 255, 257, 277

data, 96–99

goals, 6, 8

images, 141–43, 165, 167

impairment, 4–9, 15–17, 23, 32–33, 40–42, 44–46, 49, 90, 96–98, 108, 183–84, 278

input, xv, 86, 90, 145–47

landscape/scene, 32–33, 57, 98, 145, 175, 209, 241, 250–51, 254–55, 263, 266

overload, 94, 149, 160, 250, 263

pattern matching, 60, 69, 78, 174

patterns, 87, 159, 284

process, 96–97

processing, xv–xvi, 17, 91, 103–4, 116–19, 244, 250, 256–57

relationships, 123–24

representation, 121–22, 183

rest, 7, 58, 106

signals, 255, 280

stress, 89

symbols, 147–48, 184, 218, 259

thinking, 103–4, 158

visual/spatial

difficulties, 102, 108, 126

functions, 213

goals, 67–68

information, 244

instruction, 65

meaning, 151

metaphor, 67

nature of spirituality, 107–8

overload, 87

pattern match, 78

processing, xviii, 116–17, 190, 244

reasoning, 82

representation, 62, 77, 116, 139

signals, 245–48

systems, 87, 90, 164, 259

visual-symbolic process, 91, 96–97, 119

visual system, 58, 94, 213, 250, 257

and balance, 84–87, 89–92

difficulties with, 49, 87, 107

explanation of, xvi, 242–48

fatigue of, 118–19, 174, 183–84

and sleep, 102–6

stress on, xi–xii

visualization, 44, 66, 72, 87, 115–16, 158–59, 184, 189–91, 237–39, 241, 290

voicemail, 61, 123, 196

writing.
See
handwriting/writing

Zelinsky, Dr. Deborah, xii, xv–xviii, xxiv, 219, 242, 297

background/description of, 212–14

diagnosis of, 260–63, 287–88

first meeting with, 213–15

and improved hearing, 216–20

methods of, 245, 248–49, 253–54, 261–63, 269–70, 276–77, 282, 284–85, 290–94

prescribes “brain” glasses, 215–16, 225–26, 241, 259–94

tests ordered by, 248–60, 269–70, 288–90, 292–94

Z-Bell Test of, xvii, 258–59, 262, 270, 288–90, 293

*
With academic and professional titles: Harry Riley Spitler, D.O.S., M.D., Ph.D.; A. M. Skeffington, O.D., D.O.S., F.A.A.O.; Gerald Getman, O.D., D.O.S., Sc.D.; Harry Wachs, O.D.; Bruce Wolff, O.D.; John Thomas, O.D.; Albert A. Sutton, O.D., M.S., F.C.O.V.D.; Selwyn Super, D. Optom., D.Ed.; Babak Kateb, M.D., Ph.D.

Abbreviation key: O.D., D. Optom. (Doctor of Optometry); D.O.S. (Doctor of Optometric Science); Sc.D. (Doctor of Science); F.A.A.O. (Fellow, American Academy of Optometry); F.C.O.V.D (Fellow, College of Optometrists in Visual Development); D.Ed. (Doctor of Education); F.N.O.R.A. (Fellow, Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association).

*
There is a lot of confusion, if not outright controversy, about the differences between traumatic brain injury (TBI), mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI/MTBI), post-concussion syndrome (PCS), and other labels, relative to how persistent the symptoms are: initial unconsciousness, score on the Glasgow Coma Scale, etc. There is also much that is outright wrong about measures of the persistence of symptoms. I will use the simplest definition of TBI—a physical trauma to the head causing brain injury—and concussion mostly interchangeably as terms in this nonmedical, nonlegal text.

*
“P4_4 Travelling by Teleportation,”
Journal of Physics Special Topics,
November 6, 2012, https://physics.le.ac.uk/journals/index.php/pst/article/view/558/380.

*
That these memories are dark is significant to me now, because it would not be a common occurrence in the years to come. It appears that such “missing pieces” of my life story were a feature only of the very early days after the crash.

*
Although I many times made the choice not to drive, or to rest before doing so, in the fifty thousand miles covered during this period I never got a ticket or came close to causing any kind of accident.

*
It turns out that there is a strong link between people who dispositionally exhibit this failure to filter out extraneous information (in a syndrome known as
cognitive disinhibition
) and highly creative thought. See, e.g., Shelley Carson, “The Unleashed Mind: Why Creative People Are Eccentric,”
Scientific American Mind
, April 14, 2011, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-unleashed-mind. See also references for Schizotypal Personality [disorder]
.

*
This commitment to service really is pervasive, and starts at the top: the Reverend Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., Ed.D., president of DePaul, for example, donates his entire $800,000-plus salary to the Vincentian order, of which he is a member.