Brain injury conference explores research, gives help to caregivers and survivors

Memory Faith McAdams wishes people would see her as a person first, then as a traumatic brain injury survivor. Too often, it's the other wayaround.

"You always want to be one of the 'normies,' " the 43-year-old Ventura woman said, referring to those without braininjury.

When asked about the irony of her name, Memory said it's just a coincidence, that it was just one of those 1960snames.

The slang like "normies," the slights, the triumphs and the struggles were all part of the third annual Ventura County Brain Injury Center Conference held Saturday at the Ventura County Office of Education inCamarillo.

The conference had a keynote speaker and workshops on three simultaneous tracks for brain injury survivors, caregivers and professionals in the field seeking to get furthercredentials.

"The thrust of this conference is real practical knowledge," explained Joan Moore, executive director of the Brain Injury Center of Ventura County in Camarillo. "Once a person sustains a brain injury ... they get the acute and subacute rehabilitation, but when they come home, the services stop but they haven't gottenanybetter."

During the workshop, roughly 150 attendees learned practical tips for survivors, caregivers and health professionals. Subjects included everything from communication to nutrition to navigating the tangle of health care bureaucracy to get long-termcare.

"Brain injury hasn't received the attention of other impairments," said David Wilk, who sits on the Brain Injury Center board of directors. "That's because it's tough for brain injury survivors to advocate for themselves. Survivors are in an ongoing stateofconfusion."

During her keynote address, Dr. Mayumi Prins who has a doctorate in neurobiology and is an associate professor in residence at the UCLA Brain Injury Research Centergave a presentation on promising research to help survivors of traumatic braininjury.The research centers on how metabolism is affected after a brain injury. She said glucose sometimes has a tough time getting to the brain. She compared a normal brain to a Los Angelesfreeway.

"There are divergent pathways but one main pathway that allows glucose to go through," she said. "With a traumatic brain injury, there are detours and SIG-alerts."

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Brain injury conference explores research, gives help to caregivers and survivors