scholarly journals Mental Fatigue; A Common Long Term Consequence After a Brain Injury

10.5772/27042 ◽  
2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgitta Johansson ◽  
Lars Rnnbck
Keyword(s):  
Brain Injury ◽  
Mental Fatigue

Distractibility When Suffering from Mental Fatigue after a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johansson B ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Injury ◽  
Reaction Time ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Brain Injuries ◽  
Mental Fatigue ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Cognitive Difficulties ◽  
Processing Information

Most Traumatic Brain Injuries are mild (mTBI) yet many people suffer from long-term mental fatigue and cognitive impairment. Despite comments from patients, cognitive difficulties can go undetected. Distractibility is commonly reported but is seldom included in standard neuropsychological assessment. This study was designed to investigate the effect distraction may induce in topdown and bottom-up attention among people who suffer from mental fatigue after mTBI. Thirty mTBI patients suffering from mental fatigue and 30 healthy controls performed a computerized test, including Simple Reaction Time, Choice Reaction Time and Attentional Capture tasks with a salient distractor. A slower processing speed was found in all subtests for the mTBI group and was particularly noticeable for the decision-making task. The distraction stimulus reduced processing speed for both groups, while the mTBI group made more omissions when a distractor emerged, indicating increased distractibility. However, no effect in top-down and bottom-up attention was found. Response time in the presence of a distractor was a predictor for mental fatigue, while depression and anxiety were not, showing the importance to carefully distinguish between emotional distress and mental fatigue. In conclusion, it is suggested that people suffering from mental fatigue after mTBI are slower at processing information, and this is more pronounced when a cognitive demand is added to the task. Distractibility was indicated with more omissions during distraction, but a distinction between top-down and bottom-up systems was not found. Further research is needed to better understand the link between distractibility and mental fatigue after a brain injury.

Train 4 Good - an eight-month mindfulness program live on Internet for long-term mental fatigue and emotional distress after an acquired brain injury

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgitta Johansson ◽  
Helena Bjuhr
Keyword(s):  
Brain Injury ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Acquired Brain Injury ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Fatigue ◽  
Good Program ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Self Compassion

Long-term psychosocial and emotional difficulties and mental fatigue after stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common and there is a need for rehabilitation and support. Mindfulness can contribute to well-being and can be delivered in groups and also on Internet. The aim of this feasibility study was to evaluate whether an eight-month mindfulness program, Train 4 Good, could be successfully delivered live on Internet (10 participants) for participants suffering from long-term mental fatigue after a TBI or stroke. A face-to face group was used for comparison (10 participants). The program Train 4 Good, includes cultivation of the four mental states of the Brahma Viharas; metta/loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity. The Train 4 Good program was designed to enable people suffering from long-term mental fatigue and emotional distress after an acquired brain injury to further explore meditation, enhance well-being and to deepen their meditative practice after having completed a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. Significant improvement in self-compassion (Self Compassion Scale short form) was achieved after the Train 4 Good program. In conclusion, we suggest that it is possible to deliver the Train 4 Good program live on Internet for people suffering from mental fatigue and emotional distress after an acquired brain injury with a similar alleviation of self-compassion as for a face-to-face group. Mindfulness programs can be a valuable option for rehabilitation after an acquired brain injury when the fatigue and emotional burden can become long-lasting or lifelong. Development of longer mindfulness programs is warranted, since mental health problems only improve slowly and long-term support is requested.

Traumatic Brain Injury: A Trauma Surgeon's Perspective

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 82-89
Author(s):  
Oscar D. Guillamondegui
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Multidisciplinary Approach ◽  
Trauma Team ◽  
The United States ◽  
Long Term Outcomes ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Injured Brain ◽  
The Moment

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious epidemic in the United States. It affects patients of all ages, race, and socioeconomic status (SES). The current care of these patients typically manifests after sequelae have been identified after discharge from the hospital, long after the inciting event. The purpose of this article is to introduce the concept of identification and management of the TBI patient from the moment of injury through long-term care as a multidisciplinary approach. By promoting an awareness of the issues that develop around the acutely injured brain and linking them to long-term outcomes, the trauma team can initiate care early to alter the effect on the patient, family, and community. Hopefully, by describing the care afforded at a trauma center and by a multidisciplinary team, we can bring a better understanding to the armamentarium of methods utilized to treat the difficult population of TBI patients.

Prosodic Impairment Associated With Traumatic Brain Injury

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 97-102
Author(s):  
Billy Irwin
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Acoustic Characteristics ◽  
Individual Variations

Abstract Purpose: This article discusses impaired prosody production subsequent to traumatic brain injury (TBI). Prosody may affect naturalness and intelligibility of speech significantly, often for the long term, and TBI may result in a variety of impairments. Method: Intonation, rate, and stress production are discussed in terms of the perceptual, physiological, and acoustic characteristics associated with TBI. Results and Conclusions: All aspects of prosodic production are susceptible to the effects of damage resulting from TBI. There are commonly associated prosodic impairments; however, individual variations in specific aspects of prosody require detailed analysis.

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