NeuroRehabilitation - Volume 45, issue 3

Authors: Finley, John-Christopher | Parente, Frederick | Davin, Katie

Article Type: Case Report

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Subjective organization (SO) facilitates storage and retrieval of information but is often impaired following traumatic brain injury. No study has compared measures of SO using association rule analyses to clustering analyses. Moreover, there have been no studies investigating whether patients post-brain injury subjectively organize non-verbal information. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the relationship between SO and recall of words and symbols with participants discordant for traumatic brain injury. Additionally, the authors explored the conditions under which clustering or association rule measures of SO were best used. METHOD: Two female monozygotic twins discordant for traumatic brain injury …completed a multi-trial free recall test of words and symbols. The authors examined whether measures of SO derived from clustering analysis or association rule modeling could differentiate organizational abilities between participants’ data. RESULTS: The twin following sequential traumatic brain injuries demonstrated significantly less SO and recall relative to the twin without a traumatic brain injury. Both twins subjectively organized verbal and non-verbal information and each measure could differentiate the twins’ performance. CONCLUSION: The quantitative analysis of SO can provide clinicians with valuable information concerning a patient’s recall performance. This study illustrates practical issues that may influence a clinician’s choice of these techniques. Show more

Keywords: Subjective organization, traumatic brain injury, cluster, association rule

DOI: 10.3233/NRE-192837

Citation: NeuroRehabilitation, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 401-407, 2019

Authors: Johnson, Keith A. | Gordon, Christopher J. | Grunstein, Ronald R.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Previous studies examining insomnia in populations with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have not distinguished between transient insomnia symptoms and insomnia disorder and associations have been confounded by other highly prevalent sleep disorders post-TBI. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between affective symptoms and somatoform symptoms in patients with TBI and insomnia, sleep apnoea and hypersomnolence. METHODS: Twenty-four participants from a multidisciplinary brain injury rehabilitation service with TBI were assessed for insomnia disorder, using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria. Associations with affective and somatic symptoms were assessed, using the DASS-21 and PHQ-15 respectively. The …same cohort was divided for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) and hypersomnolence and analysed for the same outcomes. Associations were assessed using Pearson’s correlation and a logistic binary regression model was developed to predict insomnia in patients with brain injury. RESULTS: The insomnia disorder group (n  = 11) had significantly higher rates somatoform symptoms (p  < 0.05), compared to those without insomnia disorder (n  = 13). These factors were not significantly associated with OSA or hypersomnolence. Pain was significantly associated with insomnia disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Insomnia disorder, not OSA or hypersomnolence, may be related to the presence of somatoform symptoms in people with TBI. Addressing insomnia disorder may potentially improve recovery. Show more

Keywords: Somatoform symptoms, brain injury, insomnia disorder

DOI: 10.3233/NRE-192868

Citation: NeuroRehabilitation, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 409-418, 2019

Authors: Adams, Mark | Weatherall, Mark | Bell, Elliot

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: PURPOSE: To explore associations between psychosocial factors and pain intensity and pain interference in a population with a new neurological injury on admission to rehabilitation, and after six months. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A longitudinal, prospective cohort study with participants with stroke or Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) completing questionnaires for pain intensity and interference, mental health, pain coping strategies and pain attitudes and beliefs within two weeks of admission to inpatient rehabilitation. After six months, participants completed measures of pain intensity and pain interference only. RESULTS: In all 32 participants completed the questionnaires at baseline and 19 …after six months. Several associations between a person’s mental health and certain beliefs were associated with pain outcomes. Additionally, poorer baseline mental health was associated with greater pain intensity and pain interference after six months, and a stronger belief in a medical cure for pain at baseline was associated with less pain intensity and pain interference after six months. CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial factors are associated with pain early after stroke and SCI. Psychosocial factors are also associated with pain outcomes several months after stroke and SCI. This highlights the importance of psychosocial factors in both of these populations and their relationship with pain outcomes. Show more

Keywords: Pain, stroke, spinal cord injury, psychosocial, mental health, coping, attitudes, beliefs, catastrophisation

DOI: 10.3233/NRE-192872

Citation: NeuroRehabilitation, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 419-427, 2019

Authors: Amatya, Bhasker | Khan, Fary | Galea, Mary

Article Type: Other

Abstract:  The aim of this commentary is to discuss the rehabilitation perspective in the recently published Cochrane Review “Rehabilitation for people with multiple sclerosis: an overview of Cochrane Reviews” by Amatya, Khan & Galea1 , under the direct supervision of Multiple Sclerosis and Rare Diseases of the CNS group. This Cochrane Corner is produced in agreement with “NeuroRehabilitation” by Cochrane Rehabilitation.

Keywords: Multiple sclerosis, rehabilitation, disability, impairment

DOI: 10.3233/NRE-189010

Citation: NeuroRehabilitation, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 429-431, 2019