scholarly journals Gait Quality Assessment in Survivors from Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: An Instrumented Approach Based on Inertial Sensors

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (23) ◽  
pp. 5315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Belluscio ◽  
Elena Bergamini ◽  
Marco Tramontano ◽  
Amaranta Orejel Bustos ◽  
Giulia Allevi ◽  
...  

Despite existing evidence that gait disorders are a common consequence of severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI), the literature describing gait instability in sTBI survivors is scant. Thus, the present study aims at quantifying gait patterns in sTBI through wearable inertial sensors and investigating the association of sensor-based gait quality indices with the scores of commonly administered clinical scales. Twenty healthy adults (control group, CG) and 20 people who suffered from a sTBI were recruited. The Berg balance scale, community balance and mobility scale, and dynamic gait index (DGI) were administered to sTBI participants, who were further divided into two subgroups, severe and very severe, according to their score in the DGI. Participants performed the 10 m walk, the Figure-of-8 walk, and the Fukuda stepping tests, while wearing five inertial sensors. Significant differences were found among the three groups, discriminating not only between CG and sTBI, but also for walking ability levels. Several indices displayed a significant correlation with clinical scales scores, especially in the 10 m walking and Figure-of-8 walk tests. Results show that the use of wearable sensors allows the obtainment of quantitative information about a patient’s gait disorders and discrimination between different levels of walking abilities, supporting the rehabilitative staff in designing tailored therapeutic interventions.

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (10) ◽  
pp. 030006052093982
Author(s):  
Xianliang Zhong ◽  
Aijun Shan ◽  
Jianzhong Xu ◽  
Jian Liang ◽  
Ying Long ◽  
...  

Objective The present study aimed to explore the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on the prognosis and neurological function of patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Methods A prospective study was carried out in 88 patients diagnosed with severe brain injury at our hospital and they were enrolled as research participants and randomly assigned to control and experimental groups (n = 44 per group) using a random number table method. Both groups underwent routine treatment. Patients in the experimental group were administered hyperbaric oxygen therapy approximately 1 week after admission when their vital signs had stabilized. Results No significant intergroup differences were observed in the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and U.S. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores before treatment. However, after oxygen treatment, compared with the control group, the experimental group showed higher GCS and lower NIHSS scores. The GCS score at admission, tracheotomy status, and first hyperbaric oxygen therapy duration were independent prognostic factors in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Conclusion Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may promote recovery of neurological function and improve the cognitive function and prognosis of patients with severe traumatic brain injury.


2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Silverthorne ◽  
Sat Bir Khalsa ◽  
Robin Gueth ◽  
Nicole DeAvilla ◽  
Janie Pansini

Objective: This pilot study was designed to identify the potential benefits of breath-focused yoga on respiratory, physical, and psychological functioning for adults with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants: Ten individuals with severe TBI who self-selected to attend weekly yoga classes and 4 no-treatment controls were evaluated. Methods: Participants were assessed at pretreatment baseline and at 3-month intervals for a total of 4 time points over 40 weeks. Outcomes of interest included observed exhale strength, ability to hold a breath or a tone, breathing rate, counted breaths (inhale and exhale), and heart rate, as well as self-reported physical and psycho-logical well-being. Results: Repeated within-group analyses of variance revealed that the yoga group demonstrated significant longitudinal change on several measures of observed respiratory functioning and self-reported physical and psychological well-being over a 40-week period. Those in the control group showed marginal improvement on 2 of the 6 measures of respiratory health, physical and social functioning, emotional well-being, and general health. The small sample sizes precluded the analysis of between group differences. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence that breath-focused yoga may improve respiratory functioning and self-perceived physical and psychological well-being of adults with severe TBI.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 705-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arturo Chieregato ◽  
Alberto Noto ◽  
Alessandra Tanfani ◽  
Giovanni Bini ◽  
Costanza Martino ◽  
...  

Abstract OBJECTIVE To verify the values and the time course of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the cortex located beneath an evacuated acute subdural hematoma (SDH) and their relationship with neurological outcome. METHODS rCBF levels were measured in multiple regions of interest, by means of a Xe-computed tomographic technique, in the cortex underlying an evacuated SDH and contralaterally in 20 patients with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury and an evacuated acute SDH. Twenty-three patients with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury and an evacuated extradural hematoma or diffuse injury served as the control group. Outcome was evaluated by means of the Glasgow Outcome Scale at 12 months. RESULTS Values for the maximum (rCBFmax) and the mean of all rCBF levels in the cortex beneath the evacuated SDH were more frequently consistent with hyperemia. The side-to-side differences in the mean of all rCBF and rCBFmax levels between lesioned and nonlesioned hemispheres were greater in patients with evacuated SDH than in controls (P = 0.0013 and P = 0.0018, respectively). The side-to-side difference in the maximum rCBF value was higher in SDH patients with unfavorable outcomes than in controls at 24 to 96 hours and at 4 to 7 days and higher than in patients with favorable outcomes at 4 to 7 days. The widest side-to-side difference in rCBFmax value was more elevated in patients with an evacuated SDH with unfavorable outcome than in patients with a favorable outcome (P = 0.047), whereas no differences were found in controls. The SDH thickness and the associated midline shift were greater in patients with unfavorable outcomes than in those with favorable outcomes. CONCLUSION On average, hyperemic long-lasting rCBF values frequently occur in the cortex located beneath an evacuated SDH and seem to be associated with unfavorable outcome.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 304-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vickie Plourde ◽  
Brian L. Brooks

AbstractObjectives: Children and adolescents with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) present with short and long-term neuropsychological deficits following their injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of a brief computerized test battery for evaluating cognitive functioning sub-acutely following a TBI. Methods: Participants (n=33) sustained a moderate-to-severe TBI, were between 8 and 18 years old, and were assessed using CNS Vital Signs (CNSVS) within 6 months post-injury (median=0.6 month). Participants with TBI were matched to 33 healthy controls based on age, sex, and handedness to compare their cognitive functioning on the CNSVS battery. Results: Children and adolescents with moderate-to-severe TBI had significantly lower scores and large effect sizes on Reaction Time, Complex Attention, and Cognitive Flexibility domains, as well as medium effect sizes on two Visual Memory test scores and one Psychomotor Speed test score. A significantly higher percentage of participants with TBI had cognitive impairment on Reaction Time domain score compared to the control group. Finally, CNSVS domain scores correctly categorized 76% of participants as either group with TBI or control group. Conclusions: CNSVS may be a useful tool for screening cognitive abilities in children and adolescents who are early in their recovery from a moderate-to-severe TBI, particularly when a rapid screening evaluation can help guide management, interventions, and track recovery. (JINS, 2017, 23, 304–313)


PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e2986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qilin Tang ◽  
Xiang Wu ◽  
Weiji Weng ◽  
Hongpeng Li ◽  
Junfeng Feng ◽  
...  

BackgroundParoxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) results and aggravates in secondary brain injury, which seriously affects the prognosis of severe traumatic brain injury patients. Although several studies have focused on the treatment of PSH, few have concentrated on its prevention.MethodsNinety post-operation (post-op) severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) patients admitted from October 2014 to April 2016 were chosen to participate in this study. Fifty of the post-op sTBI patients were sedated with dexmedetomidine and were referred as the “dexmedetomidine group” (admitted from May 2015 to April 2016). The other 40 patients (admitted from October 2014 to May 2015) received other sedations and were referred as the “control group.” The two groups were then compared based on their PSH scores and the scores and ratios of those patients who met the criteria of “probable,” “possible” and “unlikely” using the PSH assessment measure (PSH-AM) designed by Baguley et al. (2014). The durations of the neurosurgery intensive care unit (NICU) and hospital stays and the Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) values for the two groups were also compared to evaluate the therapeutic effects and the patients’ prognosis.ResultsThe overall PSH score for the dexmedetomidine group was 5.26 ± 4.66, compared with 8.58 ± 8.09 for the control group. The difference between the two groups’ PSH scores was significant (P = 0.017). The score of the patients who met the criterion of “probable” was 18.33 ± 1.53 in the dexmedetomidine group and 22.63 ± 2.97 in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.045). The ratio of patients who were classified as “unlikely” between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.028); that is, 42 (84%) in the dexmedetomidine group and 25 (62.5%) in the control group. The differences in NICU, hospital stays and GOS values between the two groups were not significant.ConclusionDexmedetomidine has a preventive effect on PSH in sTBI patients who have undergone surgery.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangyi Yin ◽  
Jie Wu ◽  
Lihui Zhou ◽  
Chunyan Ni ◽  
Minyan Xiao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Tracheostomy is very common in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), and long-term nursing care are needed for those patients. We aimed to evaluate the effects of hospital-community-home (HCH) nursing in those patients. Methods: Tracheostomy patients with severe TBI needing long-term care were included. All patients underwent two months long follow-up. Glasgow coma score (GCS), Karnofsky, Self-Anxiety Scale (SAS) (SAS) and Barthel assessment at the discharge and two months after discharge were evaluated. The tracheostomy related complications were recorded and compared.Results: A total of 60 patients were included. There weren’t significant differences between two groups in the GCS, Karnofsky, SAS and Barthel index at discharge((all p>0.05), the GCS, Karnofsky and Barthel index was all significantly increased after two months follow-up for two groups (all p<0.05), and the GCS, Karnofsky and Barthel index at two months follow-up in HCH group was significantly higher than that of control group(all p<0.05), but the SAS at two months follow-up in HCH group was significantly less than that of control group(p=0.009). The incidence of block of artificial tracheal cannula and readmission in HCH group were significant less than that of control group (all p<0.05).Conclusion: HCH nursing care is feasible in tracheostomy patients with severe TBI, future studies are needed to further evaluate the role of HCH nursing care.


2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine A. Bracy ◽  
Jacinta M. Douglas

AbstractThis study was undertaken to establish empirically whether couples in which the husband has sustained a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) differed significantly, with respect to perceptions of husbands' interpersonal communication skills, from control couples in which the husband had sustained a traumatic orthopaedic injury (ORTHO) without injury to the brain. Fifty married couples (25 TBI dyads and 25 ORTHO dyads) were interviewed and completed a questionnaire for the study. Analysis of variance and planned comparisons were used to examine between- and within-group differences. TBI dyads were significantly different to control dyads with respect to perceptions of husbands' communication abilities. Both husbands and wives in long-term TBI dyads reported husbands to experience continuing interpersonal communication difficulties. As a group, TBI husbands self-reported significantly more communication difficulties than did ORTHO husbands. TBI wives and ORTHO wives also produced significantly different perceptions of their husbands' communication abilities. TBI wives perceived their husbands to have a number of interpersonal communication difficulties, while control group wives reported their husbands to be competent communicators.


2013 ◽  
Vol 118 (6) ◽  
pp. 1317-1328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah B. Rockswold ◽  
Gaylan L. Rockswold ◽  
David A. Zaun ◽  
Jiannong Liu

Object Preclinical and clinical investigations indicate that the positive effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) for severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs after rather than during treatment. The brain appears better able to use baseline O2 levels following HBO2 treatments. In this study, the authors evaluate the combination of HBO2 and normobaric hyperoxia (NBH) as a single treatment. Methods Forty-two patients who sustained severe TBI (mean Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score 5.7) were prospectively randomized within 24 hours of injury to either: 1) combined HBO2/NBH (60 minutes of HBO2 at 1.5 atmospheres absolute [ATA] followed by NBH, 3 hours of 100% fraction of inspired oxygen [FiO2] at 1.0 ATA) or 2) control, standard care. Treatments occurred once every 24 hours for 3 consecutive days. Intracranial pressure, surrogate markers for cerebral metabolism, and O2 toxicity were monitored. Clinical outcome was assessed at 6 months using the sliding dichotomized Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score. Mixed-effects linear modeling was used to statistically test differences between the treatment and control groups. Functional outcome and mortality rates were compared using chi-square tests. Results There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics between the 2 groups. In comparison with values in the control group, brain tissue partial pressure of O2 (PO2) levels were significantly increased during and following combined HBO2/NBH treatments in both the noninjured and pericontusional brain (p < 0.0001). Microdialysate lactate/pyruvate ratios were significantly decreased in the noninjured brain in the combined HBO2/NBH group as compared with controls (p < 0.0078). The combined HBO2/NBH group's intracranial pressure values were significantly lower than those of the control group during treatment, and the improvement continued until the next treatment session (p < 0.0006). The combined HBO2/NBH group's levels of microdialysate glycerol were significantly lower than those of the control group in both noninjured and pericontusional brain (p < 0.001). The combined HBO2/NBH group's level of CSF F2-isoprostane was decreased at 6 hours after treatment as compared with that of controls, but the difference did not quite reach statistical significance (p = 0.0692). There was an absolute 26% reduction in mortality for the combined HBO2/NBH group (p = 0.048) and an absolute 36% improvement in favorable outcome using the sliding dichotomized GOS (p = 0.024) as compared with the control group. Conclusions In this Phase II clinical trial, in comparison with standard care (control treatment) combined HBO2/NBH treatments significantly improved markers of oxidative metabolism in relatively uninjured brain as well as pericontusional tissue, reduced intracranial hypertension, and demonstrated improvement in markers of cerebral toxicity. There was significant reduction in mortality and improved favorable outcome as measured by GOS. The combination of HBO2 and NBH therapy appears to have potential therapeutic efficacy as compared with the 2 treatments in isolation. Clinical trial registration no.: NCT00170352 (ClinicalTrials.gov).


2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Dethier ◽  
Sylvie Blairy ◽  
Hannah Rosenberg ◽  
Skye McDonald

AbstractThe object of this study was to evaluate the combined effect of body and facial feedback in adults who had suffered from a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) to gain some understanding of their difficulties in the regulation of negative emotions. Twenty-four participants with TBI and 28 control participants adopted facial expressions and body postures according to specific instructions and maintained these positions for 10 s. Expressions and postures entailed anger, sadness, and happiness as well as a neutral (baseline) condition. After each expression/posture manipulation, participants evaluated their subjective emotional state (including cheerfulness, sadness, and irritation). TBI participants were globally less responsive to the effects of body and facial feedback than control participants, F(1,50) = 5.89, p = .02, η2 = .11. More interestingly, the TBI group differed from the Control group across emotions, F(8,400) = 2.51, p = .01, η2 = .05. Specifically, participants with TBI were responsive to happy but not to negative expression/posture manipulations whereas control participants were responsive to happy, angry, and sad expression/posture manipulations. In conclusion, TBI appears to impair the ability to recognize both the physical configuration of a negative emotion and its associated subjective feeling. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–13)


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Gunge Riberholt ◽  
Markus Harboe Olsen ◽  
Christian Baastrup Søndergaard ◽  
Christian Gluud ◽  
Christian Ovesen ◽  
...  

Background: Intensive rehabilitation of patients after severe traumatic brain injury aims to improve functional outcome. The effect of initiating rehabilitation in the early phase, in the form of head-up mobilization, is unclear.Objective: To assess whether early mobilization is feasible and safe in patients with traumatic brain injury admitted to a neurointensive care unit.Methods: This was a randomized parallel-group clinical trial, including patients with severe traumatic brain injury (Glasgow coma scale &lt;11 and admission to the neurointensive care unit). The intervention consisted of daily mobilization on a tilt-table for 4 weeks. The control group received standard care. Outcomes were the number of included participants relative to all patients with traumatic brain injury who were approached for inclusion, the number of conducted mobilization sessions relative to all planned sessions, as well as adverse events and reactions. Information on clinical outcome was collected for exploratory purposes.Results: Thirty-eight participants were included (19 in each group), corresponding to 76% of all approached patients [95% confidence interval (CI) 63–86%]. In the intervention group, 74% [95% CI 52–89%] of planned sessions were carried out. There was no difference in the number of adverse events, serious adverse events, or adverse reactions between the groups.Conclusions: Early head-up mobilization is feasible in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Larger randomized clinical trials are needed to explore potential benefits and harms of such an intervention.Clinical Trial Registration: [ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT02924649]. Registered on 3rd October 2016.


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