As many Southern Illinois residents are aware, the day after the President's State of the Union address, Gabrielle Giffords announced her resignation from the U.S. House of Representatives to focus on her brain injury and rehabilitation. Giffords was shot in the head at a political event last January.

Giffords' high-profile injury and rehabilitation have caused a spotlight to shine on the effects and treatment of traumatic brain injury. Giffords' husband sought out the assistance of a speech pathologist who works specifically with aphasia to help his wife with her recovery, just five months after the shooting. A condition that makes it difficult to speak and form sentences, aphasia is common among patients with brain injuries. The therapist, who is associated with the Aphasia Research Center at Boston University, decided to work with Rep. Giffords for no charge.

Giffords has been described as high-functioning compared to many patients with aphasia. Her speech therapist said many such patients cannot speak, have difficulty reading and writing, and struggle to understand. But according to the speech therapist, Giffords' understanding of language is surprisingly intact. She watches movies and television and appears to comprehend what she is viewing. When questioned about events since the shooting, Giffords showed a surprising awareness.

While Giffords cannot yet form long and complicated sentences, she does use "high information words." High information words convey meaning. Giffords' struggle is reportedly primarily with the grammar used to form full sentences.

Aphasia is only one of many issues patients suffering from traumatic brain injuries may have to overcome. TBI patients often require long-term care, extensive physical and emotional therapy, regular visits with neurologists, and much, much more. While we are far from having any simple solutions to the complex problems associated with TBI, we have come a long way, and knowledgeable professionals can make a world of difference in a TBI patient's rehabilitation.

Source: The Charlotte Observer, "Gabrielle Giffords' speech pathologist has no doubts about her patient," Karen Garloch, Jan. 25, 2012