Improvement after severe traumatic brain injury induced by coordination dynamics therapy: comparison with physiologic...

On the example of a 5-year longitudinal study of a boy who suffered severe traumatic brain injury, it is shown that there seems to be no limit as to the repair of the injured central nervous system (CNS) if Schalow Coordination Dynamics Therapy is administered. The treatment-induced improvement of CNS functioning was preceded by a transient worsening This observation is in accordance with the predictions of the theory of coordination dynamics. The dynamics of pattern formation are described in terms of the motion of low-dimensional order parameters. If the intrinsic coordination dynamics conflict with the trained movement patterns, a temporary increase in variability (loss of stability) of the required pattern can be observed. Such temporary worsening of coordination dynamics was observed during the repair of the injured CNS but not during the physiologic development of pupils between 7 and 19 years of age. The improvement achieved during 5 years of home treatment in the CNS functioning, as quantified by low-load coordination dynamics, was 11%; a further improvement of 38% could be achieved during 16 days of therapy under professional supervision. Therapy under professional supervision was approximately 100 times more efficient than the seemingly similar home therapy.