A Study of Emotionalism in Patients Undergoing Rehabilitation following Severe Acquired Brain Injury

The present study describes the phenomenon of emotionalism in a sample of brain injured patients of mixed aetiology, with a view to identifying issues relevant to clinical management, and possible causal factors. 82 subjects with severe acquired brain injury undergoing rehabilitation participated in a structured interview in which they were asked to report the presence/absence of emotionalism and degree of distress associated with it. Their overt crying behaviour was also observed and recorded. Independent variables that predicted crying during the interview were identified using a multiple logistic regression procedure. Prevalence rates of emotionalism-tearfulness were high in this sample (52% self-report, 36–41% Emotionalism-laughter was much less common (13%) Emotionalism-tearfulness was usually accompanied by negative affect, occurred in response to identifiable precipitants, and was often controllable. It was associated with major personal distress in about half the subjects who reported it. Independent variables which predicted crying behaviour were female gender and focal damage to the right cerebral hemisphere. It is concluded that an increased readiness to cry is common in people with severe acquired brain injury of mixed aetiology. The behaviour is meaningful, though not always distressing. The intensity of the behaviour is variable, and it may be most appropriate to regard emotionalism as a dimension rather than a syndrome. Implications for clinical management are discussed.

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Changes in Caregivers Lifestyle after Severe Acquired Brain Injury: A Preliminary Investigation

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2018/2824081 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

M. D’Ippolito ◽

M. Aloisi ◽

E. Azicnuda ◽

D. Silvestro ◽

M. Giustini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Brain Injury ◽

Preliminary Investigation ◽

Leisure Activities ◽

Primary Caregivers ◽

Acquired Brain Injury ◽

Lifestyle Changes ◽

Self Report ◽

Severe Acquired Brain Injury ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Additional Support

Introduction. Severe acquired brain injury (sABI) is considered the most common cause of death and disability worldwide. sABI patients are supported by their caregivers who often exhibit high rates of psychological distress, mood disorders, and changes in relationship dynamics and family roles.Objectives. To explore lifestyle changes of caregivers of sABI patients during the postacute rehabilitation, by investigating possible differences between primary and secondary caregivers. Primary caregivers spend most of the time with the patient, providing daily care and taking most responsibility for the day-to-day decisions, while secondary caregivers are those who provide additional support.Methods. Three hundred forty-seven caregivers of sABI patients were asked to fill in an unpublished self-report questionnaire to explore their possible lifestyles changes.Results. A statistically significant difference was found between primary and secondary caregivers in time spent in informal caregiving (p<0.001). The primary caregivers reduced all leisure activities compared to secondary carers (p<0.05).Conclusions. By comparing the percentage of leisure activities performed by caregiversbeforeandafterthe patient’s sABI onset, all caregivers showed high percentages of changes in lifestyle and habits, even though primary caregivers reported more negative lifestyle changes than secondary caregivers. Further studies are needed to investigate needs and burden experienced by caregivers of sABI patients during the postacute rehabilitation phase, also in relation to the patients’ outcome, to address support interventions for them and improve their quality of life.

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Perceptions of Long-term Community-based Support Following Severe Acquired Brain Injury

Brain Impairment ◽

10.1375/brim.5.1.53.35407 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 53-66 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Tamara Ownsworth ◽

Merrill Turpin ◽

Glenys Carlson ◽

Julie-Anne Brennan

Keyword(s):

Brain Injury ◽

Acquired Brain Injury ◽

Well Being ◽

Effective Area ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Support Needs ◽

Individual Choice ◽

Community Based ◽

Severe Acquired Brain Injury

AbstractMany individuals require long-term community-based support following acquired brain injury (ABI). However, very few studies have examined individuals' perceptions of these support needs. The present exploratory study examined individuals' perceptions of community-based support following severe ABI. Participants included eight individuals (aged 20–48 years) with severe ABI, seven relatives and three case managers. The individuals were receiving long-term specialised lifestyle support ranging from 3–70 hours per week. A structured interview with open and closed questions was developed to explore perceptions of individuals' support needs across the areas of personal and home-based activities, community-based activities, self-organisation and vocational activities and social and psychological well-being. The questions investigated whether support was needed, the importance of support, the sources of support, the effectiveness of support and the need for change. A comparison of the three respondent groups' perceptions of support indicated a general consensus that community-based activities were the most important and most effective area of support. When the issues raised by the three respondent groups were compared and contrasted two main themes emerged from the data, which were labelled “relationships” and “individual choice versus support needs”. These themes are discussed in relation to the provision of long-term community-based support services following ABI.

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Comparing Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms Reported via Questionnaires Versus a Novel Structured Interview

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617721000278 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Natalie A. Emmert ◽

Georgia Ristow ◽

Michael A. McCrea ◽

Terri A. deRoon-Cassini ◽

Lindsay D. Nelson

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Response Bias ◽

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Symptom Burden ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Self Report ◽

Symptom Reporting ◽

Clinical Interviews

Abstract Objective: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) symptoms are typically assessed via questionnaires in research, yet questionnaires may be more prone to biases than direct clinical interviews. We compared mTBI symptoms reported on two widely used self-report inventories and the novel Structured Interview of TBI Symptoms (SITS). Second, we explored the association between acquiescence response bias and symptom reporting across modes of assessment. Method: Level 1 trauma center patients with mTBI (N = 73) were recruited within 2 weeks of injury, assessed at 3 months post-TBI, and produced nonacquiescent profiles. Assessments collected included the SITS (comprising open-ended and closed-ended questions), Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ), Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-3 (SCAT-3) symptom checklist, and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form True Response Inconsistency (TRIN-r) scale. Results: Current mTBI symptom burden and individual symptom endorsement were highly concordant between SITS closed-ended questions, the RPQ, and the SCAT-3. Within the SITS, participants reported significantly fewer mTBI symptoms to open-ended as compared to later closed-ended questions, and this difference was weakly correlated with TRIN-r. Symptom scales were weakly associated with TRIN-r. Conclusions: mTBI symptom reporting varies primarily by whether questioning is open- vs. closed-ended but not by mode of assessment (interview, questionnaire). Acquiescence response bias appears to play a measurable but small role in mTBI symptom reporting overall and the degree to which participants report more symptoms to closed- than open-ended questioning. These findings have important implications for mTBI research and support the validity of widely used TBI symptom inventories.

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