Brain injury : [BI]
-
Brain injury : [BI] · Jan 2006
Recovery from sports concussion in high school and collegiate athletes.
Neuropsychological testing is a valuable tool in concussion diagnosis and management. ImPACT, a computerized neuropsychological testing program, consists of eight cognitive tasks and a 21-item symptom inventory. ⋯ Cognitive performance deficits in concussed athletes may persist to 7 and even to 14 days in some cases. In addition to symptom status, the athlete's post-concussion cognitive functioning should be considered when making return-to-play decisions.
-
Brain injury : [BI] · Sep 2005
Convergent validity of self-awareness measures and their association with employment outcome in adults following acquired brain injury.
To examine the convergent validity of three measures of self-awareness and their correlation with employment status in 38 adults with acquired brain injury. ⋯ The findings support the convergent validity of the three measures of self-awareness and highlight the need to address self-awareness deficits in vocational rehabilitation.
-
Brain injury : [BI] · Aug 2005
ReviewConsensus guidelines on screening for hypopituitarism following traumatic brain injury.
The goal of this consensus statement is to increase awareness among endocrinologists and physicians treating patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) of the incidence and risks of hypopituitarism among patients with TBI. ⋯ Systematic screening of pituitary function is recommended for all patients with moderate-to-severe TBI at risk of developing pituitary deficits. Patients with hypopituitarism benefit from appropriate hormonal replacement and prospects for rehabilitation of patients with TBI-induced hypopituitarism may be enhanced by appropriate HRT. Further exploration of this possibility requires: (1) active collaboration between divisions of endocrinology and rehabilitation at the local level to perform a screening of pituitary function in patients after TBI, (2) creation of a consultancy service by endocrine societies for use by rehabilitation centres, (3) development of continuing medical education (CME) programmes that can be offered as crossover training to the physicians who manage the care of patients with TBIs, (4) targeting of patient organizations with educational information for dissemination to patients and their families, (5) continued efforts to more clearly define the population at greatest risk of TBI-induced hypopituitarism and (6) monitor results of efficacy studies as they become available to evaluate whether and how much replacement therapy can improve the symptoms of individuals with TBI-induced hypopituitarism.
-
Brain injury : [BI] · Jul 2005
The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy for post-traumatic headaches.
Post-traumatic headache is one of the most common symptoms following mild and moderate head injury. Psychological factors are believed to play a role in the cause, maintenance and relief from chronic post-traumatic headache. This research evaluated the effectiveness of a multi-dimensional cognitive-behavioural approach towards rehabilitation of post-traumatic headaches. ⋯ Emotional and functional headache characteristics were studied using a multi-dimensional investigation which included relatives' perceptions of the sufferers headaches. The intervention proved effective and beneficial for the 20 therapy participants. It is concluded that cognitive-behavioural therapy provides a useful supplement to the treatment of post-traumatic headache.
-
Brain injury : [BI] · Jun 2005
Recovery of executive skills following paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI): a 2 year follow-up.
Disruptions to executive function (EF) may occur as a result of traumatic brain injury (TBI), in the context of direct damage to frontal regions or in association with disruption of connections between these areas and other brain regions. Little investigation of EF has occurred following TBI during childhood and there is little evidence of possible recovery trajectories in the years post-injury. The present study aimed to (i) examine whether a dose-response relationship exists between injury severity and EF; (ii) document recovery of EF in the 2 years post-injury and (iii) determine any additional predictors of outcome in the domain of EF. ⋯ Children sustaining severe TBI at a young age are particularly vulnerable to impairments in EF. While these difficulties do show some recovery with time since injury, long-term deficits remain and may impact on ongoing development.