Long-term neurological and neuropsychological outcome in patients with severe traumatic brain injury

Background

Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a major cause of death and disability worldwide. The aim of the study was to evaluate predictors for neurological and neuropsychological long-term outcome in patients with severe TBI treated according to an intracranial pressure (ICP-) targeted therapy.

Methods

From 08/2005 to 12/2008, 46 patients with severe TBI and more than 12 h of intensive care treatment were included in this study. Neurological outcome was assessed with the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). Neuropsychological performance assessing 9 different domains was evaluated at long-term follow-up (median 20.5 months; range 10–46). Logistic regression was used to identify favourable outcomes according to the GOS and Fisher's exact tests were used to identify predictors of severe neuropsychological impairments at follow-up.

Results

Twenty-nine patients were available for neuropsychological assessment at long-term follow-up. Only 2 out of 29 patients presented normal or average neuropsychological findings throughout all 9 neuropsychological domains at long-term follow-up. The percentage of a favourable outcome (GOS 4-5) increased from 13.8% at hospital discharge to 75.8% at rehabilitation discharge to 79.3% at long-term follow-up, respectively. Age ≤40 was found to be a strong predictor of favourable outcome at follow-up (OR 5.95, 95% CI 1.41 25.00, p = 0.015). The GOS at hospital discharge was not a predictor for severe impairments in any of the 9 different neuropsychological domains (all p-values were p > 0.268). In contrast, the GOS at rehabilitation discharge was found to be a predictor of severe impairments at follow-up in all but one domain assessed (all p-values less than p < 0.038).

Conclusions

The GOS at rehabilitation discharge should be regarded as a better predictor for neuropsychological impairments at long-term follow-up than the GOS at hospital discharge. Even in patients with favourable GOS after finishing a course of rehabilitation, three quarters of these patients may have at least one severe neuropsychological deficit. Therefore, it remains of paramount importance to provide long-term neuropsychological support to further improve outcome after TBI.     

轻度颅脑损伤患者的执行功能研究

背景 颅脑损伤常遗留神经精神的损害,包括认知功能损害、精神病性障碍和行为问题等.认知功能损害是颅脑损伤后常见的后遗问题,其中执行功能是一个十分重要的维度.轻度颅脑损伤一直被认为是脑遭受外力打击后出现的暂时的脑功能障碍,无肉眼可见的器质性损害.近年来这一传统的观点受到质疑,目前国内外一些学者认为轻度颅脑损伤是一种弥漫性的脑损伤.关于轻度颅脑损伤患者的神经心理学研究是众多研究者争论的焦点,观点不一致.本研究对恢复期的颅脑损伤患者进行执行功能评定,目的是探讨轻度颅脑损伤患者的执行功能状况.方法 对159例因交通事故造成颅脑外伤的幸存者于损伤后3～6个月医疗终结后进行执行功能评定,并与68例正常人对照.病例组的入组标准为①年龄16～65岁;②文化程度小学及以上文化,能理解执行功能测验的内容;③右利手;④有明确的脑损伤史;⑤检查前4周内未使用抗精神病药物或其他影响中枢神经系统功能的药物;⑥资料齐全;⑦自愿参加本研究.正常对照组的入组标准为①年龄16～65岁;②文化程度小学及以上文化,能理解认知功能测验的内容;③右利手;④自愿参加本研究.排除标准为①以往有脑损伤史、脑部疾患史、精神疾病史者;②精神发育迟滞者;③严重的躯体疾患者;④有药物、酒精或其他影响中枢神经系统功能的物质滥用史者;⑤色盲、色弱者;⑥对测验不合作或不能有效完成测验者.病例组分组根据颅脑损伤伤情评定的国际标准格拉斯哥昏迷计分法将病例组分成三组轻度脑损伤组78例(49.1%)GCS评分15～13分,伤后昏迷时间＜20 min;中度脑损伤组52例(32.7%)GCS评分12～9分,伤后昏迷时间20 min至6 h;重度脑损伤组29例(18.2%)GCS评分8～6分,伤后昏迷时间＞6 h.测验包括韦氏智力测验中的木块拼图测验、STROOP测验、威斯康辛卡片分类测验-改良版(M-WCST)和词汇的流畅性测验,比较轻度颅脑损伤与中、重度颅脑损伤患者的测验成绩,以及CT/MRI有无阳性发现患者的测验成绩,分析与执行功能有关的因素.结果 轻度颅脑损伤患者所有的测验成绩均低于正常对照组,其差异达到显著性水平(P＜0.01).而与中度损伤组的成绩比较则没有显著性差异(P＞0.05).在轻度组与重度组的比较中,除STROOP测验和WCST的分类个数外,其余测验成绩均存在显著性差异(P＜0.05).CT/MRI结果为阳性的病例中,不同脑损伤程度组间的执行功能检测成绩除木块拼图测验外均不具有显著性差异;CT/MRI结果为阴性的病例中,结果显示不同脑损伤程度组间的执行功能测验成绩没有显著性差异(P＞0.05).相关分析显示木块拼图和词汇流畅性两个测验成绩与脑损伤程度呈负相关(P＜0.05).年龄和执行功能呈负相关,受教育程度与执行功能呈正相关.结论 轻度颅脑损伤患者在医疗终结时仍然存在执行功能损害.我们在伤残评定中应对轻度颅脑损伤患者予以重视,同时要注意综合多方面的检测结果考虑.     

Malingering detection with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in mild traumatic brain injury

This study evaluates the ability of several Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST; Psychological Assessment Resources, 1990) variables to detect malingering in mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). The sample consisted of 373 TBI patients and 766 general clinical patients. Classification accuracy for seven indicators is reported across a range of injury severity and scores levels. Overall, most WCST scores were ineffective in discriminating malingering from non-malingering mild TBI patients. Failure-to-Maintain-Set, the Suhr & Boyer formula, and the King et al. formula detected about 30% of malingerers at cutoffs associated with a false positive error rate of ≤11%. The clinical interpretation and use of these indicators are discussed.     

Outcome instruments in moderate-to-severe adult traumatic brain injury: recommendations for use in psychosocial research

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can reduce psychosocial functioning, causing relationship, family, and employment difficulties. The present study by Moving Ahead: Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) in Brain Recovery aimed to identify a set of adult outcome instruments for moderate-to-severe TBI psychosocial research.

Procedure: A review of 115 instruments (identified through nomination, literature search, and international expert opinion) was conducted over a 15-month period. Eleven psychosocial areas were examined: Global Outcome, Communication, Social Cognition, Behavioural and Executive Function, Other Neuropsychological Functioning, Psychological Status, TBI-related Symptoms, Activities and Participation, Support and Relationships, Sense of Self, and Health-related Quality of Life. Individual instruments were considered against selection guidelines, and specific measures that best met the guidelines were identified as core (common across all studies), supplemental (dependent on study type) or emerging.

Results: The final recommendations, organised in accordance with the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Functioning taxonomy, comprised 56 instruments for use in early recovery, outcome, and intervention studies.

Conclusion: These recommendations provide a coherent framework along with identified outcome instruments to guide psychosocial research in moderate-to-severe TBI. Adherence to the recommendations will enable data-pooling and comparison across studies and research settings facilitating consistent measurement across the lifespan.     

Randomized treatment trial in mild traumatic brain injury

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether multidisciplinary treatment of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) improves neurobehavioral outcome at 6 months postinjury. METHODS: Subjects with MTBI were randomly assigned to treatment (n=97) or nontreatment (control, n=94) groups. Treated patients were assessed within 1 week of injury and thereafter managed by a multidisciplinary team according to clinical need for a further 6 months. Control subjects were not offered treatment. Six-month outcome measures included: severity of postconcussive symptoms (Rivermead Post-Concussion Disorder Questionnaire), psychosocial functioning (Rivermead Follow-up Questionnaire), psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire), and cognition (neurocognitive battery). RESULTS: Treatment and control subjects were well-matched for demographic and MTBI severity data. In addition, the two groups did not differ on any outcome measure. However, in individuals with preinjury psychiatric difficulties (22.9% of the entire sample), subjects in the treatment group had significantly fewer depressive symptoms 6 months postinjury compared with untreated controls (P=.01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that routine treatment of all MTBI patients offers little benefit; rather, targeting individuals with preinjury psychiatric problems may prove a more rational and cost-effective approach.     

Screening for sleep dysfunction after traumatic brain injury

Numerous studies on the high prevalence of sleep disorders in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been conducted in the past few decades. These disorders can accentuate other consequences of TBI, negatively impacting mood, exacerbating pain, heightening irritability, and diminishing cognitive abilities and the potential for recovery. Nevertheless, sleep is not routinely assessed in this population. In our review, we examined the selective screening criteria and the scientific evidence regarding screening for post-TBI sleep disorders to identify gaps in our knowledge that are in need of resolution. We retrieved papers written in the English-language literature before June 2012 pertinent to the discussion on sleep after TBI found through a PubMed search. Within our research, we found that sleep dysfunction is highly burdensome after TBI, treatment interventions for some sleep disorders result in favorable outcomes, sensitive and specific tests to detect sleep disorders are available, and the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of screening have been determined from other populations. The evidence we reviewed supports screening for post-TBI sleep dysfunction. This approach could improve the outcomes and reduce the risks for post-TBI adverse health and nonhealth effects (e.g., secondary injuries). A joint sleep and brain injury collaboration focusing on outcomes is needed to improve our knowledge.     

A longitudinal study of awareness of deficit after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury

Lack of awareness of deficits is a common problem after traumatic brain injury (TBI), and is associated with worse functional outcome and poor compliance with rehabilitation. Little is known, however, about the course of awareness of deficits after TBI. Using a longitudinal design, we examined changes in self-awareness between the subacute stage (about 45 days after injury) and one-year follow-up in a sample of 123 individuals with moderate to severe TBI. Awareness of deficits was operationalised as the discrepancy between patient and family ratings on the Awareness Questionnaire (AQ) and Patient Competency Rating Scale (PCRS). Compared to baseline, awareness was improved at one year, as evidenced by smaller discrepancy scores and stronger correlations between participant and family ratings. Changes in awareness were most pronounced for the behavioural/affective domain and least pronounced for the motor/sensory domain, which showed best agreement at baseline. Even at one year, participants rated themselves as higher functioning than did their relatives. Awareness at baseline and, for the AQ, time to follow commands, significantly predicted awareness at one year. These results suggest that awareness of deficits improves between the subacute and post-acute stages after TBI, and highlight the need for effective interventions for persons with impaired awareness and for flexible timing of rehabilitation efforts.     

Development of a novel task for investigating decision making in a social context following traumatic brain injury

Objective: Examination of social cognition as a target for assessment and intervention is beginning to gain momentum in a number of illnesses and acquired disorders. One facet of social cognition is decision making within interpersonal situations. This skill forms an important part of our everyday lives and is commonly impaired in those with neurological and mental health conditions. A novel task was developed to allow the assessment of decision making specifically within a social context and was examined within a group known to experience this difficulty. Method: Participants with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) were compared to healthy control participants on the Social Decision Making Task (SDMT), which required the participant to learn who the “friendly” players were in a game of toss. Participants also completed a nonsocial decision-making task, the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) as well as a battery of neuropsychological tests and social cognition tasks. Current social functioning was also examined. Results: Consistent with predictions, the TBI group made poorer decisions on the SDMT than the control group; however, group differences were not evident on the IGT. No significant relationships were observed between the SDMT and either measures of executive functioning (including working memory and reversal learning) or social cognition (including emotion recognition and theory of mind). Performance on the SDMT and the IGT were not associated, suggesting that the two tasks measure different constructs. Conclusions: The SDMT offers a novel way of examining decision making within a social context following TBI and may also be useful in other populations known to have specific social cognition impairment. Future research should aim to provide further clarification of the mechanisms of action and neuroanatomical correlates of poor performance on this task.     

脑外伤患者恢复期的注意障碍

目的探索脑外伤恢复期患者注意的改变及其特征.方法对42例大型医院神经外科住院治疗的脑外伤恢复期患者和42名正常人进行"2,7"划消测验和Strop测验.结果脑外伤患者在标准情况、不相关分心情况和相关分心情况下的划消速度明显低于正常对照组,而精确率无明显差异.进一步比较相关分心情况下划消速度的下降率显示脑外伤患者显著大于正常对照组.Stroop测验显示脑外伤患者读单色字时间、读色块时间和读彩色字颜色时间较正常对照组显著延长,但两组之间错误数无显著性差异.比较两组读彩色字颜色时间的延长率和读彩色字文字时间的延长率,脑外伤患者均显著大于对照组.结论脑外伤后患者的注意力下降.注意的分配受损,抗干扰能力下降,而选择注意相对完整.     

Outcomes of traumatic brain injury in Hong Kong: Validation with the TRISS,CRASH, and IMPACT models

We aimed to test prognostic models (the Trauma Injury Severity Score, International Mission for Prognosis and Analysis of Clinical Trials in Traumatic Brain Injury, and Corticosteroid Randomisation After Significant Head Injury models) for 14-day mortality, 6-month mortality, and 6-month unfavorable outcome in a cohort of trauma patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Hong Kong. We analyzed 661 patients with significant TBI treated in a regional trauma centre in Hong Kong over a 3-year period. The discriminatory power of the models was assessed as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. One-sample t-tests were used to compare actual outcomes in the cohort against predicted outcomes. All three prognostic models were shown to have good discriminatory power and no significant systemic over-estimation or under-estimation. In conclusion, all three predictive models are applicable to eligible TBI patients in Hong Kong. These predictive models can be utilized to audit TBI management outcomes for trauma service development in the future.     

重型颅脑损伤后并发精神障碍临床分析

目的回顾分析重症颅脑损伤后并发精神障碍。方法总结我院1998-10~2006-10收治的重症颅脑损伤后并发精神障碍46例病人,分析伤情、受伤部位与并发的精神障碍间的关系。结果本组病人共出现4型精神障碍:躁狂型、抑郁型、精神分裂样型、痴呆型。损伤部位分别为:额叶损伤、颞叶损伤、胼胝体损伤、脑干损伤。损伤类型为:脑挫伤、弥漫性轴索损伤(DAI)、脑挫伤并发颅内血肿或并发脑疝。结论额叶脑挫伤或颞叶脑挫伤并发躁狂型精神障碍最多见,脑干损伤及DAI常出现痴呆型精神障碍。     

Influence of glibenclamide on outcome in patients with type 2 diabetes and traumatic brain injury

Background and purpose

The influence of sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) and its inhibitor glibenclamide on progressive secondary hemorrhage (PSH), progressive hemorrhagic necrosis (PHN), and brain edema has been studied in rat models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and ischemia. These studies indicate that blocking SUR1 may exert protective effects in terms of outcome.

Methods

We discuss the effects of glibenclamide on outcome in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and TBI. We collected demographic, clinical, and imaging data from the clinical records of TBI patients with type 2 diabetes who were admitted to the neurosurgery department at Shanghai 6th People's Hospital between 2001 and 2012. Data from patients who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. Patients were divided into glibenclamide group and insulin group.

Results

Of 70 patients fit criteria for inclusion, no significant difference was observed except for age and fasting plasma glucose between the two groups. Outcome indicators, including GCS discharge, GOS discharge, length of study in hospital (LOS-H), and the presence of PSH showed no significant difference too (p > 0.05), except for length of stay in neuro-intensive care unit (LOS-NICU) (p < 0.05). Age, hours between the initial CT scan and the injury (HCT1) and GCS at admission were observed as factors associated with PSH after logistic regression.

Conclusions

In general, the use of glibenclamide to control plasma glucose after TBI had no significant effect on patient outcome at discharge but it could reduce the LOS-NICU (p < 0.05). Glibenclamide also had no apparent effect on the presence of PSH in TBI patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.     

A comparison of functional outcomes in hypoxia and traumatic brain injury: a pilot study

We present our experience with 30 patients on functional outcomes of patients with anoxic brain injury (ABI, n = 15) due to cardiac etiologies from freestanding inpatient rehabilitation hospital. A convenience sample of patient with traumatic brain injury (TBI, n = 15) with similar demographic characteristic to ABI was used for comparison on indices of activity of daily living, cognition, mobility as well as other indices of functional prognosis such as hospital length of stay, cost and discharge predisposition. No statistical significant differences were found between the two groups on the presently employed outcome measures. This investigation supports the positive impact of inpatient rehabilitation for individuals with hypoxia of cardiac etiology. Future research comparing outcomes of ABI to TBI with larger, controlled trials is warranted.     

Evaluation of neuropsychological rehabilitation following severe traumatic brain injury: A case report

This case study presents the evaluation of traumatic brain injury rehabilitation for Jane, a 35-year-old woman who sustained a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). On-going rehabilitation addressed difficulties within a structured neuro-rehabilitative therapeutic milieu and was holistically evaluated. Results showed improvement in mood and quality of life and at the compensatory level for cognition. At the impairment level, many of the affected areas of cognition remained at least below predicted pre-morbid levels. This supports the view that although TBI impairments may be permanent, structured neuro-rehabilitation can be effective through external and compensatory aids. Recording this holistically contributes to evidencing this.     

Long-term outcome following traumatic brain injury: A comparison of subjective reports by those injured and their relatives

Many long-term outcome studies have documented changes following injury using subjective reports from TBI patients and close others. It is known that factors such as self-awareness and emotional adjustment can influence subjective reports, but there has been limited research comparing reports by those injured with those of their close others at longer periods post-injury. The aims of the present study were to compare TBI participants' and close others' subjective reports of cognitive and behavioural problems 10 years following TBI and to investigate the relationship between subjective reports of cognitive impairments and TBI participants' performances on cognitive tests. Fifty-four participants who had sustained mild to very severe TBI were followed up a mean of 10 years post-injury and 54 close others also participated. Measures included the Neurobehavioural Functioning Inventory (NFI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and cognitive measures of attention, memory and executive function. TBI participants and close others showed strong agreement in their reporting of problems on the NFI. However, there was no strong relationship between subjective reports of cognitive problems and test performances. Much stronger relationships were found between subjective reports of cognitive change and emotional state. This study highlights the importance of assessing emotional state when utilising subjective report data, as well as the need to use objective measures of cognitive impairment.     

颅脑外伤对患者智能状况的影响及相关因素研究

目的：研究颅脑外伤对患者智能状况的影响,探讨与之相关的生物、心理、社会因素。方法：本研究对63例急性期颅脑外伤患者,采用标准化测评工具,包括《格拉斯哥昏迷评分（GCS）》、《简易智力状态检查》、《数字划消测验》、《社会支持评定量表》、《日常生活能力量表》及自制颅脑外伤患者人口学与相关因素调查表等,逐例进行现场临床测评,将拟分析的因素进行量化,最后将汇总的资料进行整理,分析、总结。所有统计分析均使用SAS软件包完成。结果：颅脑外伤患者智能缺陷的发生率为71．43％,其显著性差异表现在文化程度、治疗措施及手术类型三个方面,主要影响因素有外伤程度、外伤部位、社会支持、文化程度及治疗措施。结论：不同外伤类型的颅脑外伤对患者的智能状 况产生不同程度的影响,其相关因素包括生物、心理、社会学三个方面,基础的生物学病因虽然对智能起决定作用,而社会心理因素的影响仍不可忽视。     

Sequelae following traumatic brain injury: The cerebrovascular perspective

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) initiates a huge repertoire of biochemical perturbations. On one hand, destructive events are set into motion while on the other hand, protective and recovery mechanisms are evoked, each with their own temporal and spatial characteristics. The brain exists as a finely tuned balance between vascular, neuronal and glial interactions and so a complex interplay between these factors will dictate the final evolution of pathogenesis. Although vascular damage is a key event, it remains a somewhat neglected component to the underlying degenerative processes that evolve following injury to the brain. The present review will act to integrate the current knowledge of the vascular events proceeding injury to the brain, with an emphasis on how this impacts the control of vascular function and thus cerebral blood flow.     

Narrative language in traumatic brain injury

Persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) often show impaired linguistic and/or narrative abilities. The present study aimed to document the features of narrative discourse impairment in a group of adults with TBI. 14 severe TBI non-aphasic speakers (GCS < 8) in the phase of neurological stability and 14 neurologically intact participants were recruited for the experiment. Their cognitive, linguistic and narrative skills were thoroughly assessed. The group of non-aphasic individuals with TBI had normal lexical and grammatical skills. However, they produced narratives with increased errors of cohesion and coherence due to the frequent interruption of ongoing utterances, derailments and extraneous utterances that made their discourse vague and ambiguous. They produced a normal amount of thematic units (i.e. concepts) in their narratives. However, this information was not correctly organized at micro- and macrolinguistic levels of processing. A Principal Component Analysis showed that a single factor accounted for the production of global coherence errors, and the reduction of both propositional density at the utterance level and proportion of words that conveyed information. It is hypothesized that the linguistic deficits observed in the participants with TBI may reflect a deficit at the interface between cognitive and linguistic processing rather than a specific linguistic disturbance.     

Neural correlates of self-evaluative accuracy after traumatic brain injury

Individuals who have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) often exhibit an array of cognitive deficits, yet perhaps most maladaptive of these sequelae is the frequent occurrence of reduced insight into one's own condition. In such cases, TBI individuals may overestimate their post-injury level of socio-cognitive functioning, leading to disparities between how they perceive themselves and what others observe. This functional MRI (fMRI) investigation examined the relationship between level of insight into one's post-injury condition (i.e. trait/ability status) and neural activation evoked during an fMRI task involving self-appraisal of one's traits and abilities. Twenty TBI patients (8-12 weeks post-injury, ER Glasgow Coma Scale Average = 10.9+/-2.8) were selected on the criterion that they overestimate their current trait/abilities (as detected on the patient competency rating scale, PCRS). fMRI activation on the self-appraisal task was compared between the TBI patients and 20 matched controls. For both groups, the fMRI task evoked activation at mid-line prefrontal and retrosplenial cortices. TBI patients exhibited greater signal change in the anterior cingulate, precuneus and right temporal pole. Subsequently, a linear regression analysis was conducted for the TBI group, with the PCRS and a measure of cognitive speed entered as predictor variables to determine the selective effect of insight on self-evaluative brain activation. A more accurate level of trait/ability-based insight was related to increased signal change in the right anterior dorsal prefrontal cortex (PFC). The results suggest that one's post-injury level of self-referential insight is related to a network inclusive of the medial and right dorsal PFC.