BrainBlog

A randomized controlled trial of a cognitive rehabilitation intervention for persons with multiple sclerosis Clin Rehabil . 2012 Feb 2; Stuifbergen AK, Becker H, Perez F, Morison J, Kullberg V, Todd A Abstract Objective: To explore the feasibility and effects of a computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation intervention - Memory, Attention, and Problem Solving Skills for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis (MAPSS-MS) - for persons with multiple sclerosis on cognitive performance, memory strategy use, self-efficacy for control of symptoms and neuropsychological competence in activities of daily living (ADL).Design: A randomized controlled single-blinded trial with treatment and wait list control groups.Setting: Southwestern United States.Subjects: Convenience sample of 61 persons (34 treatment, 27 wait list control) with multiple sclerosis (mean age 47.9 years, SD 8.8).Intervention: The eight-week MAPSS-MS intervention program included two components: (a) eight weekly group sessions focused ...

Errorless learning in cognitive rehabilitation: A critical review Neuropsychological Rehabilatation. 2012 Jan 16; Middleton EL, Schwartz MF Abstract Cognitive rehabilitation research is increasingly exploring errorless learning interventions, which prioritise the avoidance of errors during treatment. The errorless learning approach was originally developed for patients with severe anterograde amnesia, who were deemed to be at particular risk for error learning. Errorless learning has since been investigated in other memory-impaired populations (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) and acquired aphasia. In typical errorless training, target information is presented to the participant for study or immediate reproduction, a method that prevents participants from attempting to retrieve target information from long-term memory (i.e., retrieval practice). However, assuring error elimination by preventing difficult (and error-permitting) retrieval practice is a potential major drawback of the error...

From the Mind Hacks blog: A Relationship Through Brain Injury

Neuropsychological rehabilitation for multiple sclerosis Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011;11:CD009131 Rosti-Otajärvi EM, Hämäläinen PI Abstract BACKGROUND: Cognitive deficits are a common manifestation in multiple sclerosis (MS) and have a wide effect on the patient's quality of life. Alleviation of the harmful effects caused by these deficits should be a major goal of MS research and practice. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this review was to evaluate the effects of neuropsychological/cognitive rehabilitation in MS by conducting a systematic review. SEARCH STRATEGY: A systematic literature search was carried out on reports drawn from Cochrane MS Group Specialised Register (To October 2010), Evidence-based medicine (EBM) reviews (To September 2010), MEDLINE (January 1950 to September 2010), EMBASE (1974 to September 2010), PsycINFO (January 1806 to September 2010), WEB OF SCIENCE (WOS) (January 1986 to September 2010), CINAHL (1982 to September 2010), and identified from the references in...

Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy for Traumatic Brain Injury: Evaluating the Evidence Institute of Medicine Released: 11 October 2011 For more information, click here

Intensity of Aphasia Therapy: Evidence and Efficacy. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep . 2011 Sep 30; Cherney LR, Patterson JP, Raymer AM Abstract Determining the optimal amount and intensity of treatment is essential to the design and implementation of any treatment program for aphasia. A growing body of evidence, both behavioral and biological, suggests that intensive therapy positively impacts outcomes. We update a systematic review of treatment studies that directly compares conditions of higher and lower intensity treatment for aphasia. We identify five studies published since 2006, review them for methodologic quality, and synthesize their findings with previous ones. For both acute and chronic aphasia, results at the language impairment and communication activity/participation levels tend to be more equivocal than previously demonstrated, with no clear differences between intensive and nonintensive treatment emerging across studies. Future research directions are discussed including rese...

Conference Website From the homepage: "Plan now to attend the ACRM-ASNR 2011 Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. This annual conference draws rehabilitation researchers and clinicians from 20+ countries with a welcoming ambiance suited to seasoned and early career professionals alike. Attendees enjoy exceptional continuing education programs with productive networking opportunities. "Choose from internationally recognized plenary speakers, and symposia covering methodology and technology; practice, policy and reimbursement; neuroscience and neurorehabilitation; and musculoskeletal, aging, and development. "In addition, there are six pre-conference symposia and an Early Career Course on Wednesday. Paper presentations and poster displays, and an exhibition featuring state-of-the-art equipment and services for the rehabilitation professional. As always, there is the opportunity to meet new friends and greet old ones."

From the conference webpage: Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT) Brain Injury Conference 2011 Inspiring learning and innovation in brain injury rehabilitation 21-22 September 2011, The Bristol Marriott Hotel, Old Market, Bristol "The 2011 conference from the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust will look at the latest developments and strategies for the treatment and rehabilitation of people with acquired brain injury. This is the fourth in BIRT's series of biennial brain injury conferences. "The first day's plenary sessions provide an opportunity to hear international speakers present their latest research and theories. "Day two is devoted to symposia and practical 'hands on' workshops, enabling delegates to participate in debate, discussion, learn new techniques and share good practice." Conference webpage: Click here

From The Atlantic.com : Giffords's Superspecialized Brain Doctor: Adding Insight to Injury by Ford Vox The Atlantic.com 07 February 2011 "A crucial part of Gabby Giffords's intensive brain injury rehabilitation at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) in Houston involves serial assessments and counsel by a neuropsychologist, a superspecialized breed of clinician many people know little about. "Rehabilitation teams count count on expert neuropsychologists to administer formal standardized tests and analyze those results in light of clinical data. The best neuropsychological reports are veritable Rosetta stones." Read the article

The website of Houston's TIRR rehabilitation center, lately in the news: The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research From the homepage: "TIRR treats people with a range of disabilities from complex conditions like brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple trauma and amputation, to rehabilitation for conditions including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, post-polio syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus." Here is a sample newsletter: Summer 2010

From CBC News : Virtual reality added to soldiers' rehab 19 April 2010 Read the article

Chen Y, Li YS, Wang ZY, Xu Q, Shi GW, & Lin Y. [The efficacy of donepezil for post-stroke aphasia: a pilot case control study.] Zhonghua Nei Ke Za Zhi. 2010 Feb, 49(2), 115-118. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of donepezil for post-stroke aphasia. METHODS: Sixty patients with acute post-stroke aphasia were divided into treatment group and a control group. All patients had been treated for secondary prevention according to the guideline. The treatment group received donepezil hydrochloride (5 mg/d) for 12 weeks. The efficacy of treatment was measured by comparing the changes of scores of Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) between baseline and 12 weeks later. RESULTS: Compared with the baseline, the changes of scores of all items of WAB and Aphasia Quotient (AQ) in both group after 12 weeks follow-up were great, however, the change of AQ was significantly greater in donepezil group (34.14 +/- 17.70)than that in control group (20.69 +/- 17.26)(P = 0.004). The patients in donepezil gr...

Several days ago, the CDC released a report entitled, "Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths, 2002-2006" - available as a .pdf (and .doc) download. Download the report

Today's recommended reading addresses proposed efficacy measures for use in clinical trials related to traumatic brain injury (TBI): Bagiella E, Novack TA, Ansel B, Diaz-Arrastia R, Dikmen S, Hart T, & Temkin N. Measuring Outcome in Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Trials: Recommendations From the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinical Trials Network. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. 2010. BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) involves several aspects of a patient's condition, including physical, mental, emotional, cognitive, social, and functional changes. Therefore, a clinical trial with individuals with TBI should consider outcome measures that reflect their global status. METHODS: We present the work of the National Institute of Child Health and Development-sponsored Traumatic Brain Injury Clinical Trials Network Outcome Measures subcommittee and its choice of outcome measures for a phase III clinical trial of patients with complicated mild to severe TBI. RESULTS: ...

Fish J, Wilson BA, & Manly T. The assessment and rehabilitation of prospective memory problems in people with neurological disorders: A review. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation , 2010 Feb, 4: 1-19. [Epub ahead of print] MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK. People with neurological disorders often report difficulty with prospective memory (PM), that is, remembering to do things they had intended to do. This paper briefly reviews the literature regarding the neuropsychology of PM function, concluding that from the clinical perspective, PM is best considered in terms of its separable but interacting mnemonic and executive components. Next, the strengths and limitations in the current clinical assessment of PM, including the assessment of component processes, desktop analogues of PM tasks, and naturalistic PM tasks, are outlined. The evidence base for the rehabilitation of PM is then considered, focusing on retraining PM, using retrospective memory strategies, proble...

From The Times (UK): The latest Parkinson’s treatment: Wii-hab Parkinson’s disease symptoms could be controlled by a game that can be bought on every high street, says a recent study Simon Crompton 21 September 2009 [snip] This summer, the Medical College of Georgia in the United States announced the striking results of its research into the effects of “Wii-hab” on people with Parkinson’s disease. In an eight-week study, 18 people were asked to play Wii Sports, including virtual versions of boxing and ten-pin bowling, for an hour a day, three times a week for four weeks. By the end of that time all the participants showed significant improvements in rigidity, movement, fine motor skills and energy levels. Importantly, their depression levels also decreased; depression affects around half of people with Parkinson’s disease. [snip} Read the full article

Bangirana P, Giordani B, John CC, Page C, Opoka RO, & Boivin MJ (2009). Immediate Neuropsychological and Behavioral Benefits of Computerized Cognitive Rehabilitation in Ugandan Pediatric Cerebral Malaria Survivors. Journal of Development and Behavioral Pediatrics. Aug 7. OBJECTIVE:: Our earlier studies on Ugandan children surviving cerebral malaria showed cognitive deficits mainly in attention and memory. We now present the first study in sub-Saharan Africa to investigate the feasibility and potential benefits of computerized cognitive rehabilitation training on neuropsychological and behavioral functioning of children surviving cerebral malaria. METHODS:: A randomized trial in which 65 children admitted 45 months earlier with cerebral malaria were recruited at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. For 8 weeks, 32 of the children received weekly training sessions using Captain's Log cognitive training software and the other 33 were assigned to a nontreatment condition. Pre- and...

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Bethesda, MD http://www.nichd.nih.gov/ The Rose F. Kennedy University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Bronx, NY http://www.aecom.yu.edu/cerc/kennedy.htm

An interesting feature article from the front page of yesterday's New York Times : After Injury, Fighting to Regain a Sense of Self By BENEDICT CAREY The New York Times Published: August 9, 2009 "Scientists are investigating delusions caused by brain trauma for clues to one of the most confounding problems in brain science: identity." Read the full article

BASIC: Brain and Spinal Injury Centre visit website With a shout out to Andy_G, who is on the plinth in Trafalgar Square right now wearing a BASIC shirt and is a part of the One & Other art event. From the website: "BASIC is a specialist resource for people and their families in crisis followinga traumatic brain injury or neurological diagnosis. This includes people recovering from severe head injury, brain haemorrhage, brain tumour and otherbrain-related conditions such as stroke and brain cancer."