communication
difficulties with, 34, 81–82, 155, 166–70, 198, 283
improvement in, 223
See also speech
computers, 10–11, 13, 36, 52, 73–75, 80, 110–12, 126, 194
concussion
diagnosing of, xx, 34, 40, 43, 69, 105, 193, 231
explanation of, 10, 34
serious/life-changing nature of, xx
simulation of, 13
typical symptoms of, 43, 46–47, 57, 64, 69, 85, 193, 295
concussives
and feeling nonhuman, xxi–xxiii, 61, 71–72, 109, 195, 219, 278
need rest, 58
shared experiences of, xxi–xxii, 46, 48, 72, 117, 124, 178, 219
support system for, 51–54
Conroy, John, 178
creativity, 36–37, 169, 178, 291, 293
daemons (thought processes), 73–83, 118, 133–37, 141–42, 146–47, 149, 168
decision making, 28, 57–58, 63–70, 72, 159–60, 295
DePaul University, xxiii, 3, 6, 19, 22, 31, 37, 48, 51–52, 88, 108, 231, 295. See also teaching
Descartes, René, xxiii, 111
directional sense, 6, 17, 22, 25, 100–2, 139, 166, 279, 295
DNA, 12
Doidge, Norman, 201
Dolly Zoom Effect, 5, 15
dreams, 101–4, 163, 265, 273, 279–80
ears, xvii, 196, 198–99, 217–19, 224, 262, 284, 296–97. See also audio; hearing; noise, sensitivity to
Elliott, Erin (daughter), 53, 60–61, 143–45, 155, 196–200, 206, 209–11, 275, 278–79
Elliott, Lucy (daughter), 53–54, 142–43, 275, 279
Elliott, Nell (daughter), 53–54, 142–43, 153–55, 197, 279
Elliott, Paul (son), 54, 142, 145, 196, 199, 275, 279
Elliott, Peter (son), 54, 142–43, 279
Elliott, Qianwei (wife), 53, 144, 151–55, 196, 200, 273, 275, 279
Elliott, Will (brother), 125–26
emotion, 184, 224, 245, 261, 267
emotional difficulties, xx, 60, 72, 83, 94, 178, 180
error correction, 79, 81, 165, 167, 176, 183
eyeglasses, xxiv, 241, 248
challenges of, 264–76
and cognitive improvement, xv, xvii–xviii, 267, 269–71, 275–76, 281
and colored lenses, 208, 259
and improved hearing, 216–22, 264
Phase I, 215, 263–72, 278, 281
Phase II, 226, 270–78, 281, 284–85, 291
Phase III, 276–78, 280–86, 291
Phase IV, 286–92
Phase V, 292, 294
Phase VI, 292–94
and prisms, 215, 250–52, 259–62, 269–70, 276–77, 282, 294
and regression, 277–80, 282
eyes, 102–3, 117–18, 149, 182, 207, 224
aiming system of, 237, 255–56, 269–70
and axons, 243, 245–47, 260
and balance, 85–87
and the brain, xvi, 213, 245–47, 255, 259–60, 262
focusing of, 38, 91, 139, 158, 237, 255–56, 260, 263, 269–72, 277, 284–86, 290–92
and light, 159, 243, 245–47
and music, 217–19, 221–22
movement of, 139, 158, 245, 253, 260, 269, 278
and non-image-forming retinal signals, xvi, 242–45, 248, 250, 258, 288
optic nerves of, 243, 245–46
and recovery exercises, 229, 237
and retinal processing, 213, 217, 242–48, 250, 255, 258, 260–63, 280, 288
See also eyeglasses; vision; visual
fatigue, xx, 8, 25–27, 41, 104, 147, 190
from conversation, 81, 167–69, 198–99
and eyeglasses, 264, 268, 278
from eyesight difficulties, 253, 255
improvement in, 241, 281, 287
normal, 268, 271
from reading, 36
and recovery work, 215, 241, 275–76
from small tasks, 279–80
of visual systems, 92, 94, 172, 184
filters
cognitive, 144, 172, 237
exercises for, 237
and the eyes, 245–46, 258, 261
importance of, 76
loss of, 6, 37, 46, 76, 78, 99, 129, 144, 147, 158, 165, 172, 176–77, 185, 193, 199, 206, 297
and spoken dialogue, 129, 165, 176–77, 198–200
of visual data, 37, 96, 99, 147
See also sensory: filters
Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination, 44
Gallwey, Timothy, 189–90
geometric line drawings/shapes, xi, 185–86, 206–7, 229, 231–39
geometry, 128, 133, 139, 146, 183–85
of cognition, 231–39
difficulty with, 5, 9, 23, 40–41, 77, 90, 95, 155
and time, 120–22
triggers symptoms, 157, 186–87, 207–8
God, 107–9, 111–12, 195, 224
guilt, 78–83, 162
handicap parking, 100
handwriting/writing, 36–38, 279, 283–84
hearing, xvii, 84, 109
difficulties with, 278–79, 283, 292
improvement in, 217–22, 224,
264, 271
and pain, 159, 177, 296–97
and phonosensitivity, 29–30
and visual/spatial systems, 164, 244, 258
See also audio; aural processing; ears; sound
Heather (professional organizer), 200–1, 225
hemispatial neglect, xxii, 137, 144
high-functioning people, xii, 75, 127, 178, 228, 236, 240–41
homeodynamics, 244, 261
hospital, 21, 28, 33–35, 39–42, 54, 70, 192
house rebuilding project, 26, 37, 53, 95–100, 157, 200
human mind, xxii–xxiii, 10, 12–14, 21, 31, 83, 103, 110–11
humor, 156, 159–62, 169–70, 265, 293
ideaesthesia, 144, 148
Inner Game of Tenns, The (Gallwey), 189–90
itching, 188–89
Jake (friend), 54, 63, 66, 79–82, 101, 146–55, 159–62, 178
Kowar, Dr. Lisa, 287–90
Lakoff, George, 114–15
left and right sides
concept of, 6, 16, 24, 137–38, 140–41, 184, 249, 252, 268, 271
and eyeglasses, 264, 267, 269–71, 277, 283, 289–93
and the eyes, 256–58, 269
letting go, 140, 142, 194–96, 200, 274
life after death, 109–11
light
bent left versus right, 251–52, 262, 277
and the brain, 245–47
and eyeglasses, 213, 250–52, 259, 261–63, 269–70, 276–77
and retinal processing, 213, 243, 245–46, 258, 262–63, 280
sensitivity to, 31, 159
line-drawing exercises, xi, 206–8, 228–39, 241
lines, making sense of, 185–88, 263
linguistics, 142–44, 152, 154–55, 167. See also communication; speech
logic, 67–68, 82, 121–22, 130, 144, 184, 190, 271, 294
Markus, Dr. Donalee, 126, 297
background/description of, 201, 205–6, 208–9
cognitive puzzles of, xii–xiii, xxiv, 130, 205–6, 225–26, 241
diagnostic tests of, xi, 206–9
exercises of, xii, 228–41, 270, 275, 278
first meeting with, 205–9
recovery plan of, xi–xiii, 209–12, 215–16, 227–31, 241, 262–63, 294
and Dr. Zelinsky, xv, 212, 215, 267, 282
Martha (Zelinsky’s assistant), 214–15, 249–50, 252–54, 257, 286–87
medical community, xi, xvii, xx, xxiii
–xxiv, 192–94, 209–10, 248
meditation, 7, 88, 106–7, 157, 295
memory, 111, 119, 151–55, 164, 169, 244
capacity/size of, 11–12
improvement in, 222, 224, 266–67
loss of, xii, 13, 70, 99–100, 113–14, 266, 274, 276
and planning, 121–22
and problem solving, 131, 142
and wearing glasses, 218, 266–67, 271, 274, 276
“working,” 131, 142, 218, 222
metacognitive voice, 126–29
metadialogue, 229
metaphor, 67, 114–17
mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), xii, 10
Miller, Dr., 123
Mind-Eye Connection, The, 213–14, 286, 294. See also Zelinsky, Dr. Deborah
motion sickness, 31, 86–87, 102. See also nausea
motor function
and brain seizures, 188, 215
and cognitive processing, xvi
and cognitive stress, 45–47
and eyeglasses, xvii, 265, 267–68, 271, 279
and the eyes, 243–44, 250, 252, 261
improvement in, 223
loss of, xi, xxii, 14–17, 23–24, 26, 31, 33, 39–40, 49, 61–64, 66–69, 91, 99, 152, 177–78, 193, 195, 207–9
and recovery exercises, 229, 233, 238–39
slowing of, 6–9, 24, 45–46, 66, 98, 125–26, 175–76, 296
and spatial sense, 61–62
and taking tests, xi, 45–47, 207–9
See also balance
multitasking
causes fatigue, 167
difficulty with, xxi, 31, 38, 57, 78, 120, 158–59, 164–65, 198–99, 262
improvement in, 295
muscles, 26, 28, 62, 136, 284
extraocular, 85, 253
and fatigue, 187
knotted up, 158, 207, 267–68
motor control of, 238, 257
pain in, 40, 156–58
peacefulness in, 274
spasms in, 271
music, 106–7, 128, 138, 151, 195, 199, 209, 217–22, 224, 259, 266–67, 272, 281, 284
nausea, 18, 27, 31, 33, 39–40, 45, 87, 92–93, 98, 104, 116, 119, 140, 156–58, 165, 177, 223, 264, 295. See also motion sickness
Nelms, James, 12
neural
pathways, 182, 261
programming, 8, 109–10, 180
signals, 132, 243
structure, 73
neuro-optometric rehabilitation, xvi–xvii, xxi, 212–15, 226, 294. See also eyeglasses; Markus, Dr. Donalee; Zelinsky, Dr. Deborah
neurodevelopmental rehabilitation, 226, 242, 248–94
neurological oddities, 7, 88, 91, 185–89, 250
neurologists, xx, 43–47, 54, 61, 102, 192–94, 216
neurons, 110–11, 164
neuroscience, xi, xvii, xxiv, 129, 205, 212–14, 227, 246
noise, sensitivity to, 29–30, 42, 78, 149, 159, 172–75, 259, 283, 296
Nolan, Christopher, 114, 119
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<
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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
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