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

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. D’Ippolito ◽  
M. Aloisi ◽  
E. Azicnuda ◽  
D. Silvestro ◽  
M. Giustini ◽  
...  

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 Three hundred forty-seven caregivers of sABI patients were asked to fill in an unpublished self-report questionnaire to explore their possible lifestyles changes.Results.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.

2000 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 201-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna McGrath

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.


Brain Injury ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 520-529
Author(s):  
Antonio Caronni ◽  
Emanuele Liaci ◽  
Anna Bianchi ◽  
Alessandro Viganò ◽  
Francesco Marenco ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 43-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.L. van den Brink ◽  
S. Nieuwenhuis ◽  
G.J.M. van Boxtel ◽  
G. van Luijtelaar ◽  
H.J. Eilander ◽  
...  

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e029061
Author(s):  
Signe Janum Eskildsen ◽  
Daniela Jakobsen ◽  
Christian Gunge Riberholt ◽  
Ingrid Poulsen ◽  
Derek John Curtis

IntroductionDysphagia is highly prevalent in patients with acquired brain injury (ABI) and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. However, dysphagia management varies greatly between units and internationally, and there is currently no consensus, standard intervention or treatment. A review mapping the existing literature on dysphagia treatment is needed. In this paper, the protocol for a scoping review to identify and map dysphagia treatment following ABI is outlined.ObjectiveThe objective of the scoping review is to systematically map the existing research literature to answer the research question:Which non-surgical, non-pharmacological interventions are used in the treatment of dysphagia in patients with moderate and severe acquired brain injury in the acute and subacute phase?Methods and analysisThe methodological framework for the study is based on methodology by Arksey and O’Malley and methodological advancement by Levacet al. We will search electronic databases in June 2019: MEDLINE (Ovid); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library); EMBASE (Ovid); CINAHL (EBSCO); PsycINFO; Science Citation Index Expanded on Web of Science; OTseeker; Speechbite and PEDro. The search terms will be limited to patients with moderate to severe ABI and dysphagia. Four review authors will independently conduct an initial screening of title and abstract and subsequent full-text review of included studies. Data will be extracted and summarised in diagrammatic or tabular form (numerical summary), and a descriptive format (narrative summary). The strategy for data synthesis entails qualitative methods to categorise the interventions based on the treatment modality and subgroup diagnosis.Ethics and disseminationScoping the existing literature will provide a foundation for further evaluating and developing our dysphagia treatment and inform future studies assessing the effectiveness of treatments. The review is part of an ongoing expansive research into dysphagia. The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication and conference presentations.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document