scholarly journals The impact of multimodal cognitive rehabilitation on executive functions in older adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Author(s):  
Eduardo Cisneros ◽  
Véronique Beauséjour ◽  
Elaine de Guise ◽  
Sylvie Belleville ◽  
Michelle McKerral

AbstractObjectivesThis study evaluated the impact of a multimodal cognitive rehabilitation intervention, the Cognitive Enrichment Program (CEP), on executive functioning (EF) and resumption of daily activities following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in older individuals, in comparison to an active control group having received holistic rehabilitation as usual care.MethodsThe CEP’sexecutive function module included planning, problem solving, and goal management training, as well as strategies focusing on self-awareness. Effectiveness was evaluated by psychometric tests (Modified Six Elements Task-adapted – MSET-A, D-KEFS Sorting test and Stroop four-color version), while generalization was measured through self-reported questionnaires about daily functioning (Dysexecutive Functioning Questionnaire – DEX, Forsaken daily life activities). Measures were obtained before and after intervention, and six months later.ResultsANCOVA results showed significant group-by-time interactions on Tackling the 6 subtasks and Avoiding rule-breaking measures of the MSET-A, with moderate effect sizes. Despite improvements in Sorting and Stroop scores, there were no group-by-time interaction on these measures. DEX generalization measure showed a significant reduction in patient/significant other difference on the Executive Cognition subscale. There was a reduction in the number of Forsaken daily life activities in the experimental group compared to controls which was not significant immediately after CEP, but that was significant six months later.ConclusionsOur study shows that older adults with TBI can improve their executive functioning with a positive impact on everyday activities after receiving multimodal cognitive training compared to an active control group.

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. e039767
Author(s):  
Zorry Belchev ◽  
Mary Ellene Boulos ◽  
Julia Rybkina ◽  
Kadeen Johns ◽  
Eliyas Jeffay ◽  
...  

IntroductionIndividuals with moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (m-sTBI) experience progressive brain and behavioural declines in the chronic stages of injury. Longitudinal studies found that a majority of patients with m-sTBI exhibit significant hippocampal atrophy from 5 to 12 months post-injury, associated with decreased cognitive environmental enrichment (EE). Encouragingly, engaging in EE has been shown to lead to neural improvements, suggesting it is a promising avenue for offsetting hippocampal neurodegeneration in m-sTBI. Allocentric spatial navigation (ie, flexible, bird’s eye view approach), is a good candidate for EE in m-sTBI because it is associated with hippocampal activation and reduced ageing-related volume loss. Efficacy of EE requires intensive daily training, prohibitive within most current health delivery systems. The present protocol is a novel, remotely delivered and self-administered intervention designed to harness principles from EE and allocentric spatial navigation to offset hippocampal atrophy and potentially improve hippocampal functions such as navigation and memory for patients with m-sTBI.Methods and analysisEighty-four participants with chronic m-sTBI are being recruited from an urban rehabilitation hospital and randomised into a 16-week intervention (5 hours/week; total: 80 hours) of either targeted spatial navigation or an active control group. The spatial navigation group engages in structured exploration of different cities using Google Street View that includes daily navigation challenges. The active control group watches and answers subjective questions about educational videos. Following a brief orientation, participants remotely self-administer the intervention on their home computer. In addition to feasibility and compliance measures, clinical and experimental cognitive measures as well as MRI scan data are collected pre-intervention and post-intervention to determine behavioural and neural efficacy.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been obtained from ethics boards at the University Health Network and University of Toronto. Findings will be presented at academic conferences and submitted to peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberVersion 3, ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT04331392).


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Fofi Constantinidou

This study investigated the effects of hierarchical cognitive training using the categorization program (CP), designed initially for adults with cognitive deficits associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Fifty-eight participants were included: a group of fifteen young adults with TBI (ages 18-48), another group of fifteen noninjured young adults (ages 18-50), and two groups of adults over 60 randomly assigned into the experimental group (n=14) or the control group (n=14). Following neuropsychological testing, the two young adult groups and the experimental older adult group received the CP training for 10-12 weeks. The CP training consisted of 8 levels targeting concept formation, object categorization, and decision-making abilities. Two CP tests (administered before and after the training) and three probe tasks (administered at specified intervals during the training) assessed skills relating to categorization. All treated groups showed significant improvement in their categorization performance, although younger participants (with or without TBI) demonstrated greater gains. Gains on the categorization measures were maintained by a subgroup of older adults up to four months posttraining. Implications of these findings in terms of adult cognitive learning and directions for future research on adult cognitive rehabilitation and cognitive stimulation programs are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 101559
Author(s):  
Eduardo Cisneros ◽  
Véronique Beauséjour ◽  
Elaine de Guise ◽  
Sylvie Belleville ◽  
Michelle McKerral

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Soundy ◽  
Johnny Collett ◽  
Sophie Lawrie ◽  
Shelly Coe ◽  
Helen Roberts ◽  
...  

Aim: The dual aim of this research was to consider the impact of providing the First Steps program on the stories of people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and to investigate the psychosocial and emotional mechanisms which may explain this impact. Methods: A qualitative study using a subtle realist paradigm and hermeneutic phenomenological methodology was undertaken. A single semi-structured interview was used to consider the impact and experiences of people with PD who completed either the intervention (2-day peer-led behavior intervention using storytelling 6–8 weeks apart) or received telephone support calls as part of the active control group. Descriptive statistics and a narrative analysis were undertaken on the results. Results: Forty-two participants were invited to participate, forty of whom completed the interview. This included 18 from the intervention group and 22 from the active control group. The intervention group identified the value of the program as worth-while, demonstrating improved exercise behavior and coping mechanisms following the intervention. Three major stories (the affirmed, the validated and the transformed story) identified the impact of the intervention. Three internal mechanisms (perceived control, hope and action, and the individual’s mind set) alongside three social mechanisms (social comparison, social control and the first opportunity to share with peers) appeared to explain this impact. Conclusion: This study provides exciting and novel evidence of the impact of a peer-led psycho-educational intervention for people newly diagnosed with PD. Further research is needed to consider the impact of stories-based approaches on participants and consider a critical evaluation of the mechanisms which may explain changes in stories and self-reported behaviour.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Krawczyk ◽  
Kihwan Han ◽  
David Martinez ◽  
Jelena Rakic ◽  
Matthew Kmiecik ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Some individuals who sustain traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) continue to experience significant cognitive impairments chronically (months-to-years post-injury). Many tests of executive function are insensitive to these executive function impairments, as such impairments may only appear during complex daily life conditions. Daily life often requires us to divide our attention and focus on abstract goals. In the current study, we compare the effects of two one-month electronic cognitive rehabilitation programs for individuals with chronic TBI. The active program (Expedition: Strategic Advantage) focuses on improving goal-directed executive functions including working memory, planning, long-term memory, and inhibitory control by challenging participants to accomplish life-like cognitive simulations. The challenge level of the simulations increase in accordance with participant achievement. The control intervention (Expedition: Informational Advantage) is identical to the active; however, the cognitive demand level is capped preventing participants from advancing beyond a set level. We will evaluate these interventions with a military veteran TBI population. Methods: One hundred individuals will be enrolled in this double-blinded clinical trial (all participants and testers are blinded to condition). Each individual will be randomly assigned to one of two interventions. The primary anticipated outcomes are improvement of daily life cognitive function skills and daily life functions. These are measured by a daily life performance task, which tests cognitive skills, and a survey that evaluates daily life functions. Secondary outcomes are also predicted to include improvements in working memory, attention, planning, and inhibitory control as measured by a neuropsychological test battery. Lastly, neuroimaging measures will be used to evaluate changes in brain networks supporting cognition pre-intervention and post-intervention. Discussion: We will test whether electronically delivered cognitive rehabilitation aimed at improving daily life functional skills will provide cognitive and daily life functional improvements for individuals in the chronic phase of TBI recovery (greater than three months post-injury). We aim to better understand the cognitive processes involved in recovery and the characteristics of individuals most likely to benefit. This study will also address the potential to observe generalizability, or transfer, from a software-based cognitive training tool toward daily life improvement. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03704116 (retrospectively registered) https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03704116?term=tbi+krawczyk&rank=1 Keywords: Cognitive rehabilitation, traumatic brain injury, executive functions, daily life functions, memory, attention, planning. Support: Joint Warfighter Program; U. S. Dept. of Defense W81XWH-16-1-0053


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 225-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilal Khokhar ◽  
Linda Simoni-Wastila ◽  
Julia F. Slejko ◽  
Eleanor Perfetto ◽  
Min Zhan ◽  
...  

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant public health concern for older adults. Small-scale human studies have suggested pre-TBI statin use is associated with decreased in-hospital mortality following TBI, highlighting the need for large-scale translational research. Objective: To investigate the relationship between pre-TBI statin use and in-hospital mortality following TBI. Methods: A retrospective study of Medicare beneficiaries 65 and older hospitalized with a TBI during 2006 to 2010 was conducted to assess the impact of pre-TBI statin use on in-hospital mortality following TBI. Exposure of interest included atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin. Beneficiaries were classified as current, recent, past, and nonusers of statins prior to TBI. The outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing current, recent, and prior statin use to nonuse. Results: Most statin users were classified as current users (90%). Current atorvastatin (OR = 0.88; 95% = CI 0.82, 0.96), simvastatin (OR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.79, 0.91), and rosuvastatin (OR = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.67, 0.94) use were associated with a significant decrease in the risk of in-hospital mortality following TBI. Conclusions: In addition to being the most used statins, current use of atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin was associated with a significant decrease in in-hospital mortality following TBI among older adults. Future research must include clinical trials to help exclude the possibility of a healthy user effect in order to better understand the impact of statin use on in-hospital mortality following TBI.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 156-166
Author(s):  
Bilal Khokhar ◽  
Linda Simoni-Wastila ◽  
Julia F. Slejko ◽  
Eleanor Perfetto ◽  
Min Zhan ◽  
...  

Background: In addition to lowering lipids, statins also may be beneficial for older adults sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI), as statin use prior to and following trauma may decrease mortality following injury. However, despite statins’ potential to reduce mortality, there is limited research regarding statin use among older adults. Objective: To characterize and investigate factors associated with statin use among older adults with TBI. Methods: A retrospective drug utilization study was used to characterize statin use among Medicare beneficiaries 65 and older hospitalized with a TBI during 2006 to 2010 and with continuous Medicare Parts A, B, and D coverage 6 months prior and 12 months following TBI. Logistic regression was used to investigate the factors associated with statin use. The exposure of interest was statin use prior to and following TBI. Results: Of the 75 698 beneficiaries included in the study, 37 874 (~50%) of beneficiaries used a statin at least once during the study period. The most common statin used was simvastatin, while fluvastatin was the least used statin. Statin users were more likely to have cardiovascular diseases when compared to nonusers. Hyperlipidemia was a major factor associated with statin use and had the greatest impact on statin use compared to nonuse (odds ratio = 9.54; 95% confidence interval = 9.07, 10.03). Conclusions: This national sample of older adults with TBI suggests that statins are commonly used. Future studies must next examine the impact of statin use on mortality and secondary injury in order to shape pharmacological therapy guidelines following TBI.


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