Aminoguanidine reverses cognitive deficits and activation of cAMP/CREB/BDNF pathway in mouse hippocampus after traumatic brain injury (TBI)

AbstractObjective: Individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) can experience social isolation, which is damaging to well-being and counterproductive to successful rehabilitation. It has been proposed that social cognitive deficits that commonly result from TBI may contribute to weakened social integration. However, the consequences of specific social cognitive deficits in TBI are still being delineated. The current work sought to better characterize the relationship between community integration and facial affect recognition (FAR) in TBI. Participants and Methods: A total of 27 participants with moderate to severe TBI and 30 healthy controls (HCs) completed two tests of FAR, which employed either static photographic stimuli or dynamic video stimuli (The Awareness of Social Inference Test). The Community Integration Questionnaire was also administered to participants. Results: Participants with TBI were significantly impaired on both the static and dynamic FAR measures, yet the deficits were most pronounced within the dynamic task. Furthermore, participants with TBI reported lower community integration compared with HCs. FAR was positively associated with community integration in both groups, such that participants with proficient affect recognition skills were better integrated into their communities. Conclusions: FAR deficits may contribute to the lack of community integration often observed in TBI; thus, interventions designed to improve FAR may be beneficial to this population’s ability to successfully reintegrate into society.

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A-146 A Comparison of Neuropsychological Assessment Results and Self-Reported Cognitive Deficits in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients with Variable Neurocognitive Impairment Severity

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology ◽

10.1093/arclin/acaa068.146 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (6) ◽

pp. 940-940

Author(s):

Coddaire K ◽

Peyton L ◽

Powell J ◽

Virden T

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Executive Functioning ◽

Neuropsychological Assessment ◽

Cognitive Deficits ◽

Neurocognitive Impairment ◽

Self Report ◽

Neurocognitive Deficits ◽

Cognitive Domains ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Objective This study aimed to determine the relationship between symptom self-report accuracy and objective cognitive functioning in multiple cognitive domains for varying neurocognitive impairment (NCI) subsequent to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Specifically, the discrepancy between self-report and objective findings among participants with mild, moderate, and severe NCI was examined within the cognitive domains of Attention, Executive Functioning, Learning/Memory, and Speech/Language. Method The sample included archival data consisting of neuropsychological scores and self-reported Ruff Neurobehavioral Inventory (RNBI) results of 135 adult TBI patients with mild, moderate, or severe NCI who received neuropsychological assessment at a private practice. Patients were grouped based on level of impairment using Halstead Impairment Index criteria. Results No main effect was found for Attention. Patients with severe NCI had greater discrepancies in Executive Functioning (p = 0.015), Learning/Memory (p = 0.015), and Speech/Language (p < 0.001) function, when compared to those with mild NCI. Additionally, patients with severe NCI demonstrated greater discrepancies in Speech/Language (p < 0.001) function when compared to those with moderate NCI. Conclusion These findings indicate as severity of neurocognitive impairment increases for TBI patients, self-reported cognitive symptomatology—specifically executive functioning, learning/memory, and speech/language—will become less accurate. Clinically, these findings suggest that when working with patients who have severe neurocognitive deficits subsequent to TBI, it is important to consider objective testing as self-reporting may not be accurate. Understanding patient’s genuine deficits will foster patient awareness and acceptance of TBI-related cognitive deficits with increased investment in treatment and improved neurorehabilitation outcomes.

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