Every day, 5,000 Americans suffer head injuries.

Many recover, but some have lasting impairment.

Is there anything that can help?

This is the People's Pharmacy with Terry and Joe Graydon.

Dr. Clark Elliott was in a traffic accident that left him with lasting balance and vision problems.

He was told he'd have to learn to live with his symptoms.

Although he was a professor of artificial intelligence, he was having trouble managing the complexity of his job and his family life.

We'll explore the science of neuroplasticity and cognitive restructuring that helped Dr.

Elliott build new neural pathways.

Coming up on the People's Pharmacy, Dr. Elliott tells his compelling story, the ghost in my brain.

First, this news.

In the People's Pharmacy Health Headlines, a study published in JAMA this week shows that

Americans are taking more prescription drugs than ever. Almost 60% of adults were taking at least one prescription

medication in the 2011-2012 survey year. That's a significant increase from just over 50% between

1999 and 2000. In addition, more people are taking several medicines at once.

Polypharmacy, the use of at least five prescription medications,

nearly doubled from 8% in 1999-2000 to 15% in 2011-2012.

You might assume that the increased use of prescriptions is because the population is aging, and older adults are more likely to have chronic conditions that require treatment.

Although that may be a factor, it's not the whole story, according to the authors.

There may be cultural effects at work that encourage people to accept or even embrace prescription drugs. Perhaps a generally positive attitude

toward taking prescription medications makes people accept drugs prescribed off-label. That is,

treating problems for which they were not originally intended or tested. Scientists from Boston and

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