The relationship between resilience, emotional distress, and community participation outcomes following traumatic brain injury

Altered pattern of theta and gamma oscillation to visual stimuli in patients with postconcussion syndrome

Although many patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) suffer from postconcussional syndrome (PCS) including abnormal emotional responses, most conventional imaging studies fail to detect any causative brain lesion. We hypothesized that event-related electroencephalography (EEG) recordings with time-frequency analysis would show a distinguishable pattern in patients with mTBI with PCS compared with normal healthy controls. EEG signals were collected from a total of 18 subjects: eight patients with mTBI with PCS and 10 healthy control subjects. The signals were recorded while the subjects were presented with affective visual stimuli, including neutral, pleasant, and unpleasant emotional cues. Event-related spectral perturbation analysis was performed to calculate frontal midline theta activity and posterior midline gamma activity, followed by statistical analysis to identify whether patients with mTBI with PCS have distinct patterns of theta or gamma oscillations in response to affective stimuli. Compared with the healthy control group, patients with mTBI with PCS did not show a significant increase in the power of frontal theta activity in response to the pleasant stimuli, indicating less susceptibility toward pleasant cues. Moreover, the patient group showed attenuated gamma oscillatory activity, with no clear alteration in gamma oscillations in response to either pleasant or unpleasant cues. This study demonstrates that patients with mTBI with PCS exhibited altered patterns of oscillatory activities in the theta and gamma bands in response to affective visual stimuli compared with the normal control group. The current finding implicates that these distinguishable patterns of brain oscillation may represent the mechanism behind various psychiatric symptoms in patients with mTBI.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with postconcussional syndrome (PCS) exhibited altered patterns of changes in oscillatory activities in the theta and gamma bands in response to visual affective stimuli. Distinguishable patterns of brain oscillation may represent the mechanism behind various psychiatric symptoms in patients with mTBI.

Relationship Between Resilience, Community Participation, and Successful Aging Among Older Adults in South Korea: Mediating Role of Community Participation

A high level of resilience is positively related to successful aging. However, interventions to increase resilience in older adults are not yet available. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of community participation in the relationship between resilience and successful aging. Data from 284 individuals aged 60 years and above were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. The pathways among resilience, community participation, and successful aging were statistically significant after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, depression, disability, and chronic disease. The analysis revealed a partial mediating effect of community participation (unstandardized estimate = .01, p < .01), explaining 16.4% of the total effect of resilience on successful aging. Promoting community participation may be beneficial for enhancing successful aging in community-dwelling older adults. Further studies to examine the causal relationship between community participation and successful aging and to develop community services are recommended to use community resources as means to support successful aging.

Efficacy of resilience interventions for dyads of individuals with brain injury and their caregivers: A systematic review of prospective studies

BACKGROUND

Acquired brain injury (BI) is associated with negative mental health outcomes for both people with BI, their caregivers (CG), and patient-CG dyads, which may be mitigated through increased resilience. However, little is known regarding the efficacy of resilience interventions focused on CGs of individuals with BI, as well as dyads, which may be instrumental for positive outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review the evidence of the efficacy of resilience interventions focused on CGs and/or dyads of individuals with BI.

METHODS

A search of MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL with Full Text, Scopus, SCIE, and ESCI was conducted. Each title and abstract were screened by two authors independently. Each full text review, study data extraction, and study quality assessment was performed independently by two authors. Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool.

RESULTS

Out of 11,959 articles retrieved, 347 full text articles were assessed for review and 18 met inclusion criteria for data extraction and quality assessment. Resilience interventions were stratified into 5 different categories based on the type of intervention.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review suggests that dyadic/CG resilience interventions may improve mental health related outcomes, but conclusions were limited secondary to heterogenous outcomes and lack of a standardized resiliency construct. Future efforts are compulsory to create a standardized resiliency construct and associated outcomes focused on persons with BI, their CGs, and dyads.

Indicators of life success from the perspective of individuals with traumatic brain injury: a scoping review

PURPOSE

The purpose was to synthesize qualitative literature and identify indicators of life success (positive life outcomes and experiences) that can help in understanding resiliency in the context of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

METHODS

This scoping review involved searching nine online databases for population (TBI) and context (qualitative literature). Searches retrieved 42 852 articles and, after two-stage screening, 76 articles met the inclusion criteria of reporting indicators of life success from the perspective of individuals with TBI.

RESULTS

Most studies were conducted in North America, Australia, or Europe. Participants were people living with TBI (mild to severe), of all age ranges. Positive life experiences were organized within four domains: understanding of oneself and one's life, social relationships and interaction, doing (engagement in activities, sense of control and accomplishment), and hope for the future.

CONCLUSIONS

The positive life experiences reflect both processes and outcomes (indicators of success) and highlight the need for a multidimensional approach when seeking to understand resiliency following TBI. The transactional framework of life experiences can be applied in future TBI resiliency research to understand how individuals negotiate adversity through experiences promoting understanding of oneself and the world, social relationships, engagement in activity and hope. Implications for rehabilitationRehabilitation services should consider how to afford opportunities for engagement in activity, social interaction, meaning making (i.e., coming to new understandings), and hope.With respect to engaging in activity and social relationships, having social interaction, being understood, being active and productive, having autonomy, and having accomplishments, reflect important experiences to enable within rehabilitation services.Rehabilitation professionals should consider how providing opportunities for their clients to have positive life experiences may contribute toward an adaptive and empowered mindset.

Living in a reshaped reality: Exploring social participation and self-identity after TBI

Individuals with a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience substantial changes in their life. This constructivist grounded theory study aimed to develop an explanatory model that explores the impact of changes in social participation and self-identity after sustaining a TBI. Sixteen participants with moderate to severe TBI (mean age = 49.8, 69% male) were recruited, and were on average 16.4 years post-injury (SD = 10.4). Data from semi-structured interviews were analysed thematically. An overarching theme of "living in a reshaped reality" was identified, which depicted how changes in social participation and self-identity influenced ongoing experiences with TBI. Three main themes were generated: (1) "there's nothing that's the same" highlighted the daily challenges individuals faced post-injury, (2) "rebuilding and restarting" described how individuals with TBI navigated through their unfamiliar reality, and (3) "embrace it and run with it" explored participants' reactions towards life with a TBI. An explanatory model was developed, consisting of the overarching theme ("living in a reshaped reality") with the three integrated themes. Future research and clinical practices can build on this understanding to develop programmes to help individuals address their needs in post-injury life.

Low resilience following traumatic brain injury is strongly associated with poor neurobehavioral functioning in U.S. military service members and veterans

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between resilience and self-reported neurobehavioral functioning following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in U.S. military service members and veterans (SMVs). A secondary objective was to examine the interaction between resilience and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on neurobehavioral functioning.

METHOD

Participants included 795 SMVs classified into four groups: Uncomplicated Mild TBI (MTBI; n=300); Complicated Mild, Moderate, Severe, or Penetrating TBI (STBI, n 162); Injured Controls (IC, n=185); and Non-injured Controls (NIC, n=148). Two independent cohorts were evaluated - those assessed within 1-year of injury and those assessed 10-years post-injury. SMVs completed self-report measures including the PTSD Checklist-Civilian version, Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory, and TBI-Quality of Life.

RESULTS

Results showed that (1) lower resilience was strongly associated with poorer neurobehavioral functioning across all groups at 1-year and 10-years post-injury, and (2) PTSD and resilience had a robust influence on neurobehavioral functioning at both time periods post-injury, such that SMVs with PTSD and low resilience displayed the poorest neurobehavioral functioning.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that regardless of injury group and time since injury, resilience and PTSD strongly influence neurobehavioral functioning following TBI among SMVs. Future research evaluating interventions designed to enhance resilience in this population is indicated.

Two-Step Resilience-Oriented Intervention for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

The present randomized parallel two-arm pilot study aimed to compare the efficacy of two-step resilience-oriented intervention with treatment as usual in veterans with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury.

METHOD

Two-step Resilience-Oriented Intervention (TROI) is a brief psychological intervention that targets cognitive (step 1) and emotional (step 2) factors of resilience and consists of six 1-hour sessions. Overall, 70 Ukrainian veterans serviced in Anti-Terrorist Operation / Joint Forces Operation were randomly assigned to an intervention group (TROI group) or a control group that underwent treatment as usual (TAU group). For pre- (T1) and post-treatment (T2) assessment the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist 5 (PCL-5), Chaban Quality of Life Scale (CQLS), Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) were used.

RESULTS

Multivariable linear regression with the treatment group, gender, baseline cognitive performance level and TBI severity as the independent variables revealed statistically significant improvements in the TROI group in resilience (CD-RISC), cognitive performance (MoCA), postconcussive symptoms (NSI), posttraumatic symptoms (PCL-5), positive affect (PANAS) and quality of life (CQLS) comparing to such in TAU group. We found no statistically significant differences between groups in depression, anxiety (HADS) and negative affect (PANAS) outcomes. Additionally, Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed that participants who completed two-step resilience-oriented intervention had significantly improved scores for all outcomes compared to the baseline (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, we can tentatively conclude that adding TROI to the standard treatment measures may improve the resilience and sustainable symptoms in veterans with TBI when compared with standard treatment. Targeting cognitive and emotional factors like problem-solving, decision-making, positive thinking can promote resilience in veterans with TBI and be useful in facilitating recovery from injury. Results of this pilot study are promising, but the intervention needs to be studied in a larger trial.

Participation Restrictions among Children and Young Adults with Acquired Brain Injury in a Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation Cohort: The Patients' and Parents' Perspective

Improving participation is an important aim in outpatient rehabilitation treatment. Knowledge regarding participation restrictions in children and young adults with acquired brain injury (ABI) is scarce and little is known regarding the differences in perspectives between patients and parents in the outpatient rehabilitation setting. The aims are to describe participation restrictions among children/young adults (5–24 years) with ABI and investigating differences between patients’ and parents’ perspectives. At admission in 10 rehabilitation centers, patients and parents were asked to complete the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation (CASP; score 0–100; lower score = more restrictions) and injury/patient/family-related questions. CASP scores were categorized (full/somewhat-limited/limited/very-limited participation). Patient/parent-reported outcomes were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. 223 patients and 245 parents participated (209 paired-samples). Median patients’ age was 14 years (IQR; 11–16), 135 were female (52%), 195 had traumatic brain injury (75%). The median CASP score reported by patients was 82.5 (IQR: 67.5–90) and by parents 91.3 (IQR: 80.0–97.5) (difference = p < 0.05). The score of 58 patients (26%) and 25 parents (10%) was classified as ‘very-limited’. Twenty-six percent of children and young adults referred for rehabilitation after ABI had “very-limited” participation. Overall, parents rated their child’s participation better than patients themselves. Quantifying participation restrictions after ABI and considering both perspectives is important for outpatient rehabilitation treatment.