Objective. To study the prevalence, nature and determinants of aggression among inpatients with acquired brain injury. Background. Patients with acquired brain injury often have difficulty in controlling their aggressive impulses. Design. A prospective observational study design. Methods. By means of the Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised, the prevalence, nature and severity of aggressive behaviour of inpatients with acquired brain injury was assessed on a neuropsychiatric treatment ward with 45 beds. Additional data on patient-related variables were gathered from the patients’ files. Results. In total, 388 aggressive incidents were recorded over 17 weeks. Of a total of 57 patients included, 24 (42%) patients had engaged in aggressive behaviour on one or more occasions. A relatively small proportion of patients (n = 8; 14%) was found to be responsible for the majority of incidents (n = 332; 86%). The vast majority of aggression incidents (n = 270; 70%) were directly preceded by interactions between patients and nursing staff. In line with this, most incidents occurred at times of high contact intensity. Aggressive behaviour was associated with male gender, length of stay at the ward, legal status and hypoxia as the cause of brain injury. Conclusion. Aggression was found to be highly prevalent among inpatients with acquired brain injury. The results suggest that for the prevention of aggression on the ward, it may be highly effective to develop individually tailored interventions for the subgroup with serious aggression problems. Relevance to clinical practice. Insight into the frequency, nature and determinants of aggressive behaviour in inpatients with acquired brain injury provides nurses with tools for the prevention and treatment of aggressive behaviour.
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Purpose: Physical interventions during subacute rehabilitation have potential to improve functional recovery. This study explored the perspectives of children and adolescents with acquired brain injury (ABI) and their parents with respect to physical rehabilitation during the subacute phase. Methods: Thirteen children and adolescents with ABI and their parents were included and interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis approach. Results: Six themes were identified: 1) beliefs of physical rehabilitation, 2) content of physical rehabilitation, 3) tailored care, 4) impact of context, 5) communication and 6) transition. The importance of intensive physical practice was widely supported. The positive can-do mentality was emphasised to create an atmosphere of hope, meaning that every effort would be made to achieve maximum recovery. Intensive involvement of parents is considered essential during subacute rehabilitation including an open and mutual dialogue about the focus of rehabilitation, therapy goals and future participation in their own environment. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need for an intensive rehabilitation approach, tailored to the individual’s needs. The perspectives of children and adolescents and their parents in our study contribute to a better understanding of factors that are important for optimal recovery through physical rehabilitation during the subacute phase.
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Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is in the developed countries the most common cause of death and disability in childhood. Aim: The purpose of this study is to estimate the incidence of TBI for children and young people in an urbanised region of the Netherlands and to describe relevant characteristics of this group. Methods: Patients, aged 1 month - 24 years who presented with traumatic brain injury at the Erasmus University Hospital (including the Sophia Children's Hospital) in 2007 and 2008 were included in a retrospective study. Data were collected by means of diagnosis codes and search terms for TBI in patient records. The incidence of TBI in the different referral areas of the hospital for standard, specialised and intensive patient care was estimated. Results: 472 patients met the inclusion criteria. The severity of the Injury was classified as mild in 342 patients, moderate in 50 patients and severe in 80 patients. The total incidence of traumatic brain injury in the referral area of the Erasmus University Hospital was estimated at 113.9 young people per 100.000. The incidence for mild traumatic brain injury was estimated at 104.4 young people, for moderate 6.1 and for severe 3.4 young people per 100.000. Conclusion: The ratio for mild, moderate and severe traumatic brain injury in children and young people was 33.7e1.8e1.In the mild TBI group almost 17% of the patients reported sequelae. The finding that 42% of them had a normal brain CT scan at admission underwrites the necessity of careful follow up of children and young people with mild TBI.
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Objectives: Participation is considerably restricted in children and adolescents with acquired brain injury (ABI) as compared to their healthy peers. This systematic review aims to identify which factors are associated with participation in children and adolescents with ABI. Methods: A systematic search in Medline and various other electronic databases from January 2001–November 2014 was performed. All clinical studies describing determinants of participation at least 1 year after the diagnosis of ABI by means of one or more pre-defined instruments in patients up to 18 years of age were included. Extracted data included study characteristics, patient characteristics, participation outcome and determinants of participation (categorized into: health conditions (including characteristics of ABI), body functions and structures, activities, personal factors and environmental factors). The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated based on three quality aspects (selection, information and statistical analysis bias) and scored as low, moderate or high. Results: Eight studies using an explicit participation outcome measure were selected after review, including a total of 1863 patients, with a follow-up ranging from 1 up to 288 months. Three studies included patients with a traumatic or a non-traumatic brain injury (TBI or NTBI) and five studies with only TBI patients. Factors consistently found to be associated with more participation restrictions were: greater severity of ABI, impaired motor, cognitive, behavioural and/or sensory functioning, limited accessibility of the physical environmentand worse family functioning. Fewer participation problems were associated with a supportive/nurturing parenting style, higher household income, acceptance and support in the community and availability of special programmes. The overall methodological quality of the included studies was high in two and moderate in six studies. Conclusion: This systematic review shows that only a few, moderate quality, studies on the determinants of participation after paediatric ABI using recommended explicit measurement instruments are available. Various components of the ICF model: health condition, body functions and structures and environmental factors were consistently found to be associated with participation. More methodologically sound studies, using the recommended explicit outcome measures, a standardized set of potential determinants and longterm follow-up are suggested to increase the knowledge on participation in children and youth with ABI.
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AIM: To synthesize the evidence about the characteristics (frequency, intensity, time, type) and effects of physical rehabilitation interventions on functional recovery and performance in daily functioning in children and young people with acquired brain injury (ABI), including traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and non-TBI, during the subacute rehabilitation phase.METHOD: Using scoping review methodology, a systematic literature search was performed using four databases. Articles were screened by title and abstract and data from eligible studies were extracted for synthesis.RESULTS: Nine of 3009 studies were included. The results demonstrated a variety of intervention characteristics: frequency varied between 1 and 7 days per week; time of intervention varied between 25 minutes and 6 hours a day; intervention types were specified in seven studies; and none of the included studies reported details of intensity of intervention. All studies reported positive results on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Children and Youth (ICF-CY) levels of body function and activities after the intervention period, with study designs of included studies being cohort studies without concurrent controls (n=7) or case reports (n=2).INTERPRETATION: Inconsistency in results hampers generalizability to guide clinical practice. Physical interventions during subacute rehabilitation have potential to improve functional recovery with intervention characteristics as an important factor influencing its effectiveness. Future well-designed studies are indicated to gain knowledge and optimize rehabilitation practice in paediatric ABI and high-quality research including outcomes across all ICF-CY domains is needed.
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Purpose: To study the association between fatigue and participation and QoL after acquired brain injury (ABI) in adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Materials & Methods: Cross-sectional study with AYAs aged 14–25 years, diagnosed with ABI. The PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale, Child & Adolescent Scale of Participation, and PedsQL™4.0 Generic Core Scales were administered. Results: Sixty-four AYAs participated in the study, 47 with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Median age at admission was 17.6 yrs, 0.8 yrs since injury. High levels of fatigue (median 44.4 (IQR 34.7, 59.7)), limited participation (median 82.5 (IQR 68.8, 92.3)), and diminished QoL (median 63.0 (IQR 47.8, 78.3)) were reported. More fatigue was significantly associated with more participation restrictions (β 0.64, 95%CI 0.44, 0.85) and diminished QoL (β 0.87, 95%CI 0.72, 1.02). Conclusions: AYAs with ABI reported high levels of fatigue, limited participation and diminished quality of life with a significant association between fatigue and both participation and QoL. Targeting fatigue in rehabilitation treatment could potentially improve participation and QoL.
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AIM To examine which instruments used to assess participation of children with acquired brain injury (ABI) or cerebral palsy (CP) align with attendance and/or involvement constructs of participation; and to systematically review measurement properties of these instruments in children with ABI or CP, to guide instrument selection. METHOD Five databases were searched. Instruments that quantified ‘attendance’ and/or ‘involvement’ aspects of participation according to the family of participation-related constructs were selected. Data on measurement properties were extracted and methodological quality of the studies assessed. RESULTS Thirty-seven instruments were used to assess participation in children with ABI or CP. Of those, 12 measured attendance and/or involvement. The reliability, validity, and responsiveness of eight of these instruments were examined in 14 studies with children with ABI or CP. Sufficient measurement properties were reported for most of the measures, but no instrument had been assessed on all relevant properties. Moreover, most psychometric studies have marked methodological limitations. INTERPRETATION Instruments to assess participation of children with ABI or CP should be selected carefully, as many available measures do not align with attendance and/or involvement. Evidence for measurement properties is limited, mainly caused by low methodological study quality. Future studies should follow recommended methodological guidelines.
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De incidentie van niet aangeboren hersenletsel (NAH) bij personen in de leeftijd tot 25 jaar in Nederland is aanzienlijk, met ca. 18.000 nieuwe gevallen per jaar. Kinderen en jongeren met NAH hebben naast fysieke, cognitieve en emotionele beperkingen, een significant lager niveau van sociale participatie dan hun gezonde leeftijdgenoten. Het gebruik van de Nintendo Wii, een spelcomputer die bewegingen op natuurlijke en intuïtieve wijze uitlokt, lijkt mogelijkheden te bieden om contacten met anderen en actieve vrijetijdsbesteding bij jongeren met NAH te stimuleren. In deze studie wordt onderzocht wat het effect is van het gebruik van de Nintendo Wii bij kinderen en jongeren met NAH op fysiek, cognitief en sociaal functioneren. Om dit te onderzoeken is een multicenter, observationele pilotstudie verricht, bij 50 kinderen en jongeren met NAH in de leeftijd van 6-29 jaar die onder controle of behandeling zijn van een revalidatiearts. De interventie, van in totaal 12 weken, startte met 2 trainingssessies van 60 minuten, waarbij de toe te passen games werden gekozen passend bij zelf gekozen behandeldoelen (te verbeteren functies of activiteiten) en uitvoerbaar gezien de individuele beperkingen van de deelnemer. Vervolgens werd er minimaal 2 keer in de week gegamed. Er was wekelijks contact met een therapeut per telefoon of e-mail. De effectmetingen (vragenlijsten en een neuropsychologische test) werden verricht aan het begin en einde van de interventie en betroffen het fysiek, cognitief en sociaal functioneren. De statistische analyse bestond uit vergelijkingen van de uitkomstmaten tussen 0 en 12 weken met behulp van gepaarde t-toetsen, Wilcoxon-Signed-Rank tests en chi-kwadraat toetsen. Deze eerste pilotstudie naar de effecten van het gamen met de Nintendo Wii bij jongeren met NAH laat significante verbetering zien op het fysiek en cognitief functioneren, en niet op het sociaal functioneren. Deze resultaten zijn aanleiding om de effectiviteit van de Nintendo Wii in deze patiëntengroep in een grotere, gecontroleerde studie verder te onder ABSTRACT Aim: To explore the effects of usage of the Nintendo Wii on physical, cognitive and social functioning in patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). Methods: This multicenter, observational proof-of-concept study included children, adolescents and young adults with ABI aged 6-29 years. A standardized, yet individually tailored 12-week intervention with the Nintendo Wii was delivered by trained instructors. The treatment goals were set on an individual basis and included targets regarding physical, mental and/or social functioning. Outcome assessments were done at baseline and after 12 weeks, and included: the average number of minutes per week of recreational physical activity; the CAPE (Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment); the ANT (Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks); the achievement of individual treatment goals (Goal Attainment Scaling); and quality of life (PedsQL; Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory). Statistical analyses included paired t-tests or Wilcoxon-Signed-Rank tests. Results: 50 patients were included, (31 boys and 19 girls; mean age 17.1 years (SD 4.4)), of whom 45 (90%) completed the study. Significant changes of the amount of physical activity, speed of information processing, attention, response inhibition and visual-motor coordination (p<0.05) were seen after 12 weeks, whereas there were no differences in CAPE or PedsQL scores. Two-thirds of the patients reported an improvement of the main treatment goal. Conclusion: This study supports the potential benefits of gaming in children and youth with ABI.
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In een door het lectoraat Revalidatie uitgevoerd onderzoek bij jongeren met niet aangeboren hersenletsel (NAH) hebben veertien studenten van de Academie voor Gezondheid geparticipeerd. Bij jongeren hebben zij, twee jaar na het oplopen van hersenletsel door een ongeval of hersenaandoening, tijdens een huisbezoek, verschillende vragenlijsten over sociaal-maatschappelijke participatie afgenomen. In de periode voorjaar 2010 tot najaar 2012 zijn in vier wervingsrondes hoofdfase studenten via drie methoden geworven voor participatie in het NAH-onderzoek. In dit artikel worden werkwijze werving, voorbereiding en begeleiding van de studenten beschreven. De voorbereiding bestond uit informatieverstrekking en training. De begeleiding vond plaats in de vorm van supervisie. Studenten kwamen in dit onderzoek rechtstreeks en intensief met deelnemers in contact. Bij dit contact worden (beroeps)competenties op de proef gesteld: in vele opzichten een belangrijke aanvulling op hun opleiding. De belangrijkste aanbeveling is, dat studentenparticipatie in praktijkgericht onderzoek goed voorbereid en ondersteund moet worden en aanzienlijk makkelijker verloopt als dit onderdeel is van het curriculum van de opleiding. Ook zal participeren in analyse en verwerking van de onderzoeksgegevens naast dataverzameling meerwaarde voor de student hebben. ABSTRACT Fourteen students of the Academy of Health participated in a research about the social impact of acquired brain injury (ABI) in adolescents. This research was performed by the research group Rehabilitation. The students conducted several questionnaires about social functioning while visiting the adolescents with ABI at home, two years after the youths had suffered from brain injury, through accident or brain illness. During four selection rounds that took place between Spring 2010 and Autumn 2012, students were recruited by three methods to participate in the data collection of the ABI research. This article describes methods of recruitment, preparation and supervision of the selected students. The preparation consisted of education and training. The supervision consisted of feedback and encouragement. Students were in direct and intensive contact with participants during this research. Their (professional) competencies were therefore put to the test and in many respects this was an important addition to their education. The most important recommendation is that student participation be properly prepared and supported in practically oriented research and be a much more integrated component of the programme curriculum. In addition to data collection, participation in the analysis and processing of research data will also be of added value for the student.
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Athletes in team sports have to quickly visually perceive actions of opponents and teammates while executing their own movements. These continuous actions are performed under time pressure and may contribute to a non-contact ACL injury. However, ACL injury screening and prevention programmes are primarily based on standardised movements in a predictable environment. The sports environment provides much greater cognitive demand because athletes must attend their attention to numerous external stimuli and inhibit impulsive actions. Any deficit or delay in attentional processing may contribute to an inability to correct potential errors in complex coordination, resulting in knee positions that increase the ACL injury risk. In this viewpoint, we advocate that ACL injury screening should include the sports specific neurocognitive demands.
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