NeuroRehabilitation
-
NeuroRehabilitation · Jan 2012
ReviewNeuroimaging after critical illness: implications for neurorehabilitation outcome.
Survivors of critical illness frequently have severe and long-lasting cognitive impairments and psychiatric disorders, which adversely affect functional outcomes including return to work, and quality of life. While data regarding cognitive outcomes has increased over the last 15 years, neuroimaging data in medical and surgical critical populations is extremely limited. ⋯ Patients admitted to neurorehabilitation who received critical care related to their primary diagnosis may have sustained neurological injury from the nonspecific effects of their critical illness and as demonstrated in this review, generalized, non-specific neuroimaging findings may be observed and quantified. Given the high prevalence rate of cognitive impairments in this population, neuroimaging is important to help elucidate neuropathology of critical illness acquired brain injury and may be beneficial in guiding rehabilitation outcomes in this population.
-
NeuroRehabilitation · Jan 2012
Feasibility and consumer satisfaction ratings following an intervention for families who have a child with acquired brain injury.
Our objective was to ascertain the feasibility and consumer satisfaction ratings of families who received an adapted pediatric acquired brain injury (ABI) 'Signposts for Building Better Behavior' program in either group- or telephone-support delivery formats. ⋯ The current research has provided preliminary evidence for the feasibility and satisfaction of a family-centered parent-based behavioral intervention program called Signposts to be used with a pediatric ABI population. It also provides evidence for a less costly option of intervention delivery via telephone-support.
-
NeuroRehabilitation · Jan 2012
Upper extremity function and its relation with hand sensation and upper extremity strength in patients with multiple sclerosis.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between the upper extremity functions, upper extremity strength and hand sensation in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Twenty-two patients with MS (mean age: 38.5 ± 8.31 years, median Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS): 2) and 10 healthy subjects were included. Upper extremity function was measured with the Nine-hole peg test, upper extremity strength (shoulder flexion-abduction, elbow flexion, pinch and grip) with hand-held dynamometer, hand grip dynamometer and manual pinch meter, threshold of light touch-pressure with Semmes-Weinstein monofilament, duration of vibration with 128-Hz frequency tuning fork, and distance of two-point discrimination with an aesthesiometer. ⋯ These results indicate that the hand sensation, upper extremity strength and function were affected in MS patients. Additionally upper extremity functions seem to be related with light touch-pressure and two-point discrimination sensations of the hand and elbow flexion strength. Upper extremity strengthening and sensorial training of the hand may contribute to the upper extremity function in patients with MS.
-
NeuroRehabilitation · Jan 2012
Predictors of long-term health-related quality of life in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
To determine the predictive value of physical and psychological factors assessed three months after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) one year after the SAH. ⋯ Female gender, cognitive complaints, cognitive functioning and passive coping style assessed at 3 months after SAH are important predictors of HRQoL 1 year after SAH. Early interventions to improve cognitive and emotional functioning should be evaluated for their ability to improve long-term HRQoL after SAH.
-
Tremendous advances in neuroimaging methods and analytic techniques hold great promise in providing the rehabilitation clinician with a much greater understanding of brain pathology and its potential influence on rehabilitation outcome. This special issues of NeuroRehabilitation overviews the field. Contemporary neuroimaging methods are reviewed specifically in traumatic brain injury (TBI), anoxic brain injury (ABI) and stroke. Innovative methods combined with standard quantitative metrics and traditional clinical assessment provide the rehabilitation clinician with multiple methods to best understand the nature and extent on underlying neuropathology and how to use this information in guiding rehabilitation therapies and predicting outcome.