Background: Patients with acquired brain injury often experience impaired working memory (WM), a condition that can make everyday life activities and work difficult. Objectives: This study investigates the effects of ...Background: Patients with acquired brain injury often experience impaired working memory (WM), a condition that can make everyday life activities and work difficult. Objectives: This study investigates the effects of computerized WM training on WM skills, cognitive tests, activity performance and estimated health and whether the effects of computerized WM training can be attributed to sex or time since injury. Methods: Forty-eight patients with acquired brain injury underwent computerized WM training. Patients were tested by a neuropsychologist and interviewed by an occupational therapist just prior and 20 weeks after completion of training. Results: Patients who participated in computerized WM training significantly improved their WM skills shown in WM index, their neuropsychological test scores, and their self-estimated health scores. They also significantly improved their performance of individually defined WM-related everyday activities and their satisfaction with the performance of these activities. There was a significant difference in terms of WM index, WM-related daily activity performance, and satisfaction with respect to time since injury. Conclusion: Computerized WM training can improve cognitive and everyday performance for patients with acquired brain injury. Patients can improve their cognitive functions a long time after suffering a brain injury or disease. This effect is greater if WM training is used early in the rehabilitation.展开更多
Purpose: To examine the benefits from a vocational rehabilitation program for patients suffering from Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) in terms of quality of life, and overall health. In addition, to examine the direct soc...Purpose: To examine the benefits from a vocational rehabilitation program for patients suffering from Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) in terms of quality of life, and overall health. In addition, to examine the direct societal costs of healthcare interventions related to vocational rehabilitation and indirect societal costs related to production loss. Method: Identified interventions in 45 patients with ABI who were discharged from a vocational rehabilitation program between 2010 and 2011 were documented, classified and translated into costs. Expenses associated with production loss were calculated by comparing sick leave production loss at first contact with the team, with sick leave production loss at discharge. Health related QoL and overall health, was measured at first contact and at discharge by using the EQ5D. Results: For vocational rehabilitation interventions, mean costs were €6303/individual/month. At first contact with the team, mean production loss was estimated to be €4409/individual/month compared;at discharge to be €2446. QoL ratings increased from first contact to discharge, although estimated health did not change. At discharge, significant correlations were found between QoL ratings and estimated health and the extent of production loss展开更多
Background: Cognitive impairments as sequelae of brain injury are common and can negatively affect activities of everyday life, participation and quality of life. Thus, finding ways to reduce cognitive impairments and...Background: Cognitive impairments as sequelae of brain injury are common and can negatively affect activities of everyday life, participation and quality of life. Thus, finding ways to reduce cognitive impairments and ameliorate their negative impact on everyday life is an important focus of research. Aim: The aim of this pilot study was to analyse the effects of a combination of guided mindfulness and aerobic exercise on cognitive ability and mental fatigue in patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). Design: Pilot study, with a before-after design. Setting: Outpatient. Population: Twenty-one patients suffering from ABI, former patients of three rehabilitation medicine departments. Methods: The intervention comprised a structured combination of guided mindfulness program and outdoor walking, three times/week for 12 weeks. The outcome measures included assessment of information processing speed, working memory, oxygen uptake and self-reported mental fatigue. Results: The main results showed improvements in cognitive abilities related to information processing speed, perceived mental fatigue and physical capacity. Conclusions: A combination of mindfulness and physical activity can increase information processing speed and ameliorate mental fatigue. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings. Clinical Rehabilitation Impact: The combination of guided mindfulness and physical activity shows promise as a treatment modality in rehabilitation of impaired information processing speed and mental fatigue following ABI.展开更多
文摘Background: Patients with acquired brain injury often experience impaired working memory (WM), a condition that can make everyday life activities and work difficult. Objectives: This study investigates the effects of computerized WM training on WM skills, cognitive tests, activity performance and estimated health and whether the effects of computerized WM training can be attributed to sex or time since injury. Methods: Forty-eight patients with acquired brain injury underwent computerized WM training. Patients were tested by a neuropsychologist and interviewed by an occupational therapist just prior and 20 weeks after completion of training. Results: Patients who participated in computerized WM training significantly improved their WM skills shown in WM index, their neuropsychological test scores, and their self-estimated health scores. They also significantly improved their performance of individually defined WM-related everyday activities and their satisfaction with the performance of these activities. There was a significant difference in terms of WM index, WM-related daily activity performance, and satisfaction with respect to time since injury. Conclusion: Computerized WM training can improve cognitive and everyday performance for patients with acquired brain injury. Patients can improve their cognitive functions a long time after suffering a brain injury or disease. This effect is greater if WM training is used early in the rehabilitation.
文摘Purpose: To examine the benefits from a vocational rehabilitation program for patients suffering from Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) in terms of quality of life, and overall health. In addition, to examine the direct societal costs of healthcare interventions related to vocational rehabilitation and indirect societal costs related to production loss. Method: Identified interventions in 45 patients with ABI who were discharged from a vocational rehabilitation program between 2010 and 2011 were documented, classified and translated into costs. Expenses associated with production loss were calculated by comparing sick leave production loss at first contact with the team, with sick leave production loss at discharge. Health related QoL and overall health, was measured at first contact and at discharge by using the EQ5D. Results: For vocational rehabilitation interventions, mean costs were €6303/individual/month. At first contact with the team, mean production loss was estimated to be €4409/individual/month compared;at discharge to be €2446. QoL ratings increased from first contact to discharge, although estimated health did not change. At discharge, significant correlations were found between QoL ratings and estimated health and the extent of production loss
文摘Background: Cognitive impairments as sequelae of brain injury are common and can negatively affect activities of everyday life, participation and quality of life. Thus, finding ways to reduce cognitive impairments and ameliorate their negative impact on everyday life is an important focus of research. Aim: The aim of this pilot study was to analyse the effects of a combination of guided mindfulness and aerobic exercise on cognitive ability and mental fatigue in patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). Design: Pilot study, with a before-after design. Setting: Outpatient. Population: Twenty-one patients suffering from ABI, former patients of three rehabilitation medicine departments. Methods: The intervention comprised a structured combination of guided mindfulness program and outdoor walking, three times/week for 12 weeks. The outcome measures included assessment of information processing speed, working memory, oxygen uptake and self-reported mental fatigue. Results: The main results showed improvements in cognitive abilities related to information processing speed, perceived mental fatigue and physical capacity. Conclusions: A combination of mindfulness and physical activity can increase information processing speed and ameliorate mental fatigue. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings. Clinical Rehabilitation Impact: The combination of guided mindfulness and physical activity shows promise as a treatment modality in rehabilitation of impaired information processing speed and mental fatigue following ABI.
