Employment and accommodation needs and the effect of COVID-19 on men and women with traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacts an individual's workforce involvement post-injury. Support services and workplace accommodations that can help with work re-integration post-TBI may differ based on a person's sex and gender. The added impact of COVID-19 remains under-explored. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the support services and workplace accommodation needs and the impact of COVID-19 on work and mental health for persons with TBI, considering sex and gender. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was distributed. Descriptive and regression analyses were applied to uncover sex and gender differences, along with content analysis for open-ended responses. RESULTS: Thirty-two persons with TBI (62% women, 38% men) participated. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and counselling services were indicated as the most needed services by women and men. Modified hours/days and modified/different duties were the most needed workplace accommodations. Mental challenges impacting well-being was a highlighted concern for both men and women. Women scored poorer on the daily activity domain of the Quality of Life after Brain Injury - Overall Scale (p = 0.02). Assistance with daily activities was highlighted by women for a successful transition to work, including housekeeping and caregiving. Men were more likely than women to experience change in employment status because of COVID-19 (p = 0.02). Further, a higher percentage of men expressed concern about the inability to pay for living accommodations, losing their job, and not having future job prospects. CONCLUSION: Findings reveal important differences between men and women when transitioning to work post-TBI and emphasize the need for sex and gender considerations.

Studying Trends of Auto-Regulation in Severe Head Injury in Paediatrics (STARSHIP): protocol to study cerebral autoregulation in a prospective multicentre observational research database study.

INTRODUCTION: Studying cerebral autoregulation, particularly PRx (Pressure Reactivity Index), is commonly employed in adult traumatic brain injury (TBI) and gives real-time information about intracranial pathophysiology, which can help in patient management. Experience in paediatric TBI (PTBI) is limited to single-centre studies despite disproportionately higher incidence of morbidity and mortality in PTBI than in adult TBI. PROJECT: We describe the protocol to study cerebral autoregulation using PRx in PTBI. The project called Studying Trends of Auto-Regulation in Severe Head Injury in Paediatrics is a multicentre prospective ethics approved research database study from 10 centres across the UK. Recruitment started in July 2018 with financial support from local/national charities (Action Medical Research for Children, UK). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The first phase of the project is powered to detect optimal thresholds of PRx associated with favourable outcome in PTBI by recruiting 135 patients (initial target of 3 years which has changed to 5 years due to delays related to COVID-19 pandemic) from 10 centres in the UK with outcome follow-up to 1-year postictus. The secondary objectives are to characterise patterns of optimal cerebral perfusion pressure in PTBI and compare the fluctuations in these measured parameters with outcome. The goal is to create a comprehensive research database of a basic set of high-resolution (full waveforms resolution) neuromonitoring data in PTBI for scientific use. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Favourable ethical approval has been provided by Health Research Authority, Southwest-Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 18/SW/0053). Results will be disseminated via publications in peer-reviewed medical journals and presentations at national and international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05688462.

Societal Participation of People With Traumatic Brain Injury Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A NIDILRR Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on societal participation in people with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN: Cross-sectional retrospective cohort. SETTING: National TBI Model Systems centers, United States. PARTICIPANTS: TBI Model Systems enrollees (N=7003), ages 16 and older and 1-30 years postinjury, interviewed either prepandemic (PP) or during the pandemic (DP). The sample was primarily male (72.4%) and White (69.5%), with motor vehicle collisions as the most common cause of injury (55.1%). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The 3 subscales of the Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective: Out and About (community involvement), Productivity, and Social Relations. RESULTS: Out and About, but not Productivity or Social Relations, scores were appreciably lower among DP participants compared to PP participants (medium effect). Demographic and clinical characteristics showed similar patterns of association with participation domains across PP and DP. When their unique contributions were examined in regression models, age, self-identified race, education level, employment status, marital status, income level, disability severity, and life satisfaction were variably predictive of participation domains, though most effects were small or medium in size. Depression and anxiety symptom severities each showed small zero-order correlations with participation domains across PP and DP but had negligible effects in regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with the effect of COVID-19 on participation levels in the general population, people with TBI reported less community involvement during the pandemic, potentially compounding existing postinjury challenges to societal integration. The pandemic does not appear to have altered patterns of association between demographic/clinical characteristics and participation. Assessing and addressing barriers to community involvement should be a priority for TBI treatment providers. Longitudinal studies of TBI that consider pandemic-related effects on participation and other societally linked outcomes will help to elucidate the potential longer-term effect the pandemic has on behavioral health in this population.

Technologies used to facilitate remote rehabilitation of adults with deconditioning, musculoskeletal conditions, stroke, or traumatic brain injury: an umbrella review.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review was to provide an overview of technologies (devices, tools, or software applications) used to facilitate remote rehabilitation of adults with deconditioning, musculoskeletal conditions, stroke, or traumatic brain injury, and to summarize the quantitative evidence of their efficacy. INTRODUCTION: Health care providers are considering how to meet longer-term rehabilitation needs of people whose health or level of activity and participation has been impacted directly or indirectly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Demands on rehabilitation services are increasing, driving a need for more services to be delivered in homes and communities. This review will identify the effectiveness of health care technologies to facilitate remote rehabilitation. INCLUSION CRITERIA: This review included quantitative systematic reviews where participants were adults requiring rehabilitation for musculoskeletal conditions, stroke, or traumatic brain injury, or older adults requiring rehabilitation for deconditioning. Interventions included a technology and focused on recovery or rehabilitation with one of the following primary outcomes: physical activity levels, balance and/or gait, physical performance (mobility), or functional performance. Secondary outcomes included levels of pain, cognitive function, health-related quality of life, and adverse effects. METHODS: Five databases were searched from 2016 to 2020 to identify English-language publications. Critical appraisal of five systematic reviews was conducted independently by two reviewers. Data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers. Data were summarized using a tabular format with supporting text. RESULTS: Despite the large number of systematic reviews found in the initial search, only five met the inclusion criteria. Of these, each explored a different technology, including wearable activity trackers, computer-based activities, non-immersive virtual reality, mobile apps, web-based rehabilitation interventions, and electronic health-based interventions (web-based or app-based with a wearable activity tracker). Computer-based activities were beneficial for improving cognitive function but showed no benefit on quality of life in post-stroke rehabilitation. Interventions that included wearable activity trackers showed mixed findings for increasing levels of physical activity for community-dwelling older adults with deconditioning. Mobile apps were beneficial for increasing levels of physical activity and physical or functional performance for post-stroke rehabilitation. Web-based rehabilitation that contained a variety of components to support home exercise was not effective in improving physical performance or QoL, reducing pain, or increasing levels of physical activity among individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. Electronic health-based interventions (web-based or app-based with a wearable activity tracker) were effective in improving physical performance and reducing pain in individuals with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip. Therapy in the form of screen-based, non-immersive virtual reality could be successfully transferred to the home environment for improving the balance/gait of individuals with stroke. CONCLUSIONS: The small number of heterogeneous systematic reviews included in this umbrella review and the very low quality of evidence, mostly from single small primary studies, make it difficult to draw overall conclusions that differ from the original review findings. This highlights a paucity of strong, high-quality evidence underpinning technologies that can be used to facilitate remote rehabilitation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The impact of COVID-19 on home, social, and productivity integration of people with chronic traumatic brain injury or stroke living in the community.

ABSTRACT: Compare community integration of people with stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI) living in the community before and during the coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 disease (COVID-19) when stratifying by injury: participants with stroke (G1) and with TBI (G2); by functional independence in activities of daily living: independent (G3) and dependent (G4); by age: participants younger than 54 (G5) and older than 54 (G6); and by gender: female (G7) and male (G8) participants.Prospective observational cohort studyIn-person follow-up visits (before COVID-19 outbreak) to a rehabilitation hospital in Spain and on-line during COVID-19.Community dwelling adults (≥18 years) with chronic stroke or TBI.Community integration questionnaire (CIQ) the total-CIQ as well as the subscale domains (ie, home-CIQ, social-CIQ, productivity CIQ) were compared before and during COVID-19 using the Wilcoxon ranked test or paired t test when appropriate reporting Cohen effect sizes (d). The functional independence measure was used to assess functional independence in activities of daily living.Two hundred four participants, 51.4% with stroke and 48.6% with TBI assessed on-line between June 2020 and April 2021 were compared to their own in-person assessments performed before COVID-19.When analyzing total-CIQ, G1 (d = -0.231), G2 (d = -0.240), G3 (d = -0.285), G5 (d = -0.276), G6 (d = -0.199), G7 (d = -0.245), and G8 (d = -0.210) significantly decreased their scores during COVID-19, meanwhile G4 was the only group with no significant differences before and during COVID-19.In productivity-CIQ, G1 (d = -0.197), G4 (d = -0.215), G6 (d = -0.300), and G8 (d = -0.210) significantly increased their scores, meanwhile no significant differences were observed in G2, G3, G5, and G7.In social-CIQ, all groups significantly decreased their scores: G1 (d = -0.348), G2 (d = -0.372), G3 (d = -0.437), G4 (d = -0.253), G5 (d = -0.394), G6 (d = -0.319), G7 (d = -0.355), and G8 (d = -0.365).In home-CIQ only G6 (d = -0.229) significantly decreased, no significant differences were observed in any of the other groups.The largest effect sizes were observed in total-CIQ for G3, in productivity-CIQ for G6, in social-CIQ for G3 and in home-CIQ for G6 (medium effect sizes).Stratifying participants by injury, functionality, age or gender allowed identifying specific CIQ subtotals where remote support may be provided addressing them.

Inflammation and the role of infection: Complications and treatment options following neurotrauma.

Traumatic brain injury can have devastating consequences for patients and extended hospital stays and recovery course. Recent data indicate that the initial insult causes profound changes to the immune system and leads to a pro-inflammatory state. This alteration in homeostasis predisposes patients to an increased risk of infection and underlying autoimmune conditions. Increased emphasis has been placed on understanding this process both in the clinical and preclinical literature. This review highlights the intrinsic inflammatory conditions that can occur within the initial hospital stay, discusses long-term immune consequences, highlights emerging treatment options, and delves into important pathways currently being investigated with preclinical models.

Compliance with venous thromboembolism chemoprophylaxis guidelines in non-operative traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of compliance of The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) for initiation of venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis after non-operative traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the explanation for the deviations. METHODS: A retrospective review from May 2018 to February 2020 in a Level II trauma center for patients with TBI and length of stay of more than 24 h. We performed an analysis of overall and subgroup compliance with guidelines. The ACS TQIP criteria for low and moderate-risk for hemorrhagic progression were used for subgroup classification. RESULTS: Of 393 patients, 239 (60.8%) patients received chemoprophylaxis in a mean of 64 (SD: +/-42) hours since admission. "Compliance" was achieved in 52.2% of patients. In subgroup analysis, 51.4% of patients in "low-risk" and 55.1% in "moderate-risk" were "compliant." The most common rationale for non-compliance in "low-risk" was a stay less than 48 h in 35.9% of patients. However, in "moderate-risk," the most common non-compliance was starting prophylaxis before the recommended 72 h from admission in 37% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Guidelines streamline clinical practice to optimize outcomes, but there are scenarios in which deviation of the recommendations may be indicated based on clinical judgment. We show that a stay of less than 48 h was the most common rationale for not starting prophylaxis in "low-risk" patients. However, in the "moderate-risk" subgroup, the most common reason was starting chemoprophylaxis before the recommended time frame, which we called a "paradoxical" non-compliance.

Association between single moderate to severe traumatic brain injury and long-term tauopathy in humans and preclinical animal models: a systematic narrative review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The initiation, anatomic pattern, and extent of tau spread in traumatic brain injury (TBI), and the mechanism by which TBI leads to long-term tau pathology, remain controversial. Some studies suggest that moderate to severe TBI is sufficient to promote tau pathology; however, others suggest that it is simply a consequence of aging. We therefore conducted a systematic narrative review of the literature addressing whether a single moderate to severe head injury leads to long-term development of tauopathy in both humans and animal models. METHODS: Studies considered for inclusion in this review assessed a single moderate to severe TBI, assessed tau pathology at long-term timepoints post-injury, comprised experimental or observational studies, and were peer-reviewed and published in English. Databases searched included: PUBMED, NCBI-PMC, EMBASE, Web of Science, Academic Search Premiere, and APA Psychnet. Search results were uploaded to Covidence®, duplicates were removed, and articles underwent an abstract and full-text screening process. Data were then extracted and articles assessed for risk of bias. FINDINGS: Of 4,150 studies screened, 26 were eligible for inclusion, of which 17 were human studies, 8 were preclinical animal studies, and 1 included both human and preclinical animal studies. Most studies had low to moderate risk of bias. Most human and animal studies (n = 12 and 9, respectively) suggested that a single moderate to severe TBI resulted in greater development of long-term tauopathy compared to no history of head injury. This conclusion should be interpreted with caution, however, due to several limitations: small sample sizes; inconsistencies in controlling for confounding factors that may have affected tau pathology (e.g., family history of dementia or neurological illnesses, apolipoprotein E genotype, etc.), inclusion of mostly males, and variation in reporting injury parameters. INTERPRETATION: Results indicate that a single moderate to severe TBI leads to greater chronic development of tauopathy compared to no history of head injury. This implies that tau pathology induced may not be transient, but can progressively develop over time in both humans and animal models. Targeting these tau changes for therapeutic intervention should be further explored to elucidate if disease progression can be reversed or mitigated.

Decreased number of deaths related to severe traumatic brain injury in intensive care unit during the first lockdown in Normandy: at least one positive side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to severe containment measures to protect the population in France. The first lockdown modified daily living and could have led to a decrease in the frequency of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the present study, we compared the frequency and severity of severe TBI before and during the first containment in Normandy. METHODS: We included all patients admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) for severe TBI in the two tertiary neurosurgical trauma centres of Normandy during the first lockdown. The year before the containment served as control. The primary outcome was the number of patients admitted per week in ICU. We compared the demographic characteristics, TBI mechanisms, CT scan, surgical procedure, and mortality rate. RESULTS: The incidence of admissions for severe TBI in Normandy decreased by 33% during the containment. The aetiology of TBI significantly changed during the containment: there were less traffic road accidents and more TBI related to alcohol consumption. Patients with severe TBI during the containment had a better prognosis according to the impact score (p=0.04). We observed a significant decrease in the rate of short-term mortality related to severe TBI during the period of lockdown (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Containment related to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a modification of the mechanisms of severe TBI in Normandy, which was associated with a decline in the rate of short-term death in intensive unit care.

COVID-19 and dementia: Analyses of risk, disparity, and outcomes from electronic health records in the US.

INTRODUCTION: At present, there is limited data on the risks, disparity, and outcomes for COVID-19 in patients with dementia in the United States. METHODS: This is a retrospective case-control analysis of patient electronic health records (EHRs) of 61.9 million adult and senior patients (age ≥ 18 years) in the United States up to August 21, 2020. RESULTS: Patients with dementia were at increased risk for COVID-19 compared to patients without dementia (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.00 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.94-2.06], P < .001), with the strongest effect for vascular dementia (AOR: 3.17 [95% CI, 2.97-3.37], P < .001), followed by presenile dementia (AOR: 2.62 [95% CI, 2.28-3.00], P < .001), Alzheimer's disease (AOR: 1.86 [95% CI, 1.77-1.96], P < .001), senile dementia (AOR: 1.99 [95% CI, 1.86-2.13], P < .001) and post-traumatic dementia (AOR: 1.67 [95% CI, 1.51-1.86] P < .001). Blacks with dementia had higher risk of COVID-19 than Whites (AOR: 2.86 [95% CI, 2.67-3.06], P < .001). The 6-month mortality and hospitalization risks in patients with dementia and COVID-19 were 20.99% and 59.26%, respectively. DISCUSSION: These findings highlight the need to protect patients with dementia as part of the strategy to control the COVID-19 pandemic.

Discontinuation of botulinum neurotoxin type-A treatment during COVID-19 pandemic: an Italian survey in post stroke and traumatic brain injury patients living with spasticity.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected health-care systems worldwide, including the outpatient spasticity care with botulinum neurotoxin toxin type A (BoNT-A). AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of discontinuation of BoNT-A treatment on patients living with spasticity during the COVID-19 quarantine. DESIGN: A multicentric cross-sectional study. SETTING: Outpatients setting. POPULATION: Patients with spasticity after stroke and traumatic brain injury treated with BoNT-A. METHODS: A phone-based survey was conducted from March to May, 2020. Based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), an ad hoc questionnaire CORTOX (CORonavirus TOXin survey) was developed to investigate patients' experiences following the discontinuation of their usual treatment for spasticity due to the lockdown and its implication on their health perception. It assessed patients' condition and explored different ICF domains related to spasticity: unpleasant sensations, mobility, self-care, facilitators and psychosocial factors. The sum of those represented the CORTOX score (Max 142). The questionnaire also collected data about the impact of COVID-19 on patients' wellbeing (mood, sleep, relationships, community life, motivation). RESULTS: A total of 151 participants completed the survey. Most participants (72.2%) experienced a worsening in perceived spasticity, 53% got worse in independence and 70.9% had a negative impact on quality of life. The mean CORTOX score was 52.85±27.25, reflecting a perceived worsening in all ICF domains investigated. Moderate to strong correlations were found between different sub-scores of the questionnaire and severity of spasticity (P<0.001). COVID-19 psychosocial related factors were associated with loss of independence (P<0.05) but only mood was associated with worsening of spasticity (P<0.001). The lack of rehabilitation therapy was significantly associated with the worsening of independence but not with the worsening of spasticity. Finally, respondents reported that BoNT-A was useful to their condition and should not be discontinued. CONCLUSIONS: The discontinuation of BoNT-A treatment was associated with worsening of activities and participation and perceived spasticity. COVID-19 related problems and rehabilitation showed an association with loss of independence. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: This study will provide useful information in the field of spasticity management using a patient's centred approach, with consistent quantitative and qualitative information.

Neuroprotective effects of flavone luteolin in neuroinflammation and neurotrauma.

Neuroinflammation leads to neurodegeneration, cognitive defects, and neurodegenerative disorders. Neurotrauma/traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause activation of glial cells, neurons, and neuroimmune cells in the brain to release neuroinflammatory mediators. Neurotrauma leads to immediate primary brain damage (direct damage), neuroinflammatory responses, neuroinflammation, and late secondary brain damage (indirect) through neuroinflammatory mechanism. Secondary brain damage leads to chronic inflammation and the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, there are no effective and specific therapeutic options to treat these brain damages or neurodegenerative diseases. Flavone luteolin is an important natural polyphenol present in several plants that show anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, cytoprotective, and macrophage polarization effects. In this short review article, we have reviewed the neuroprotective effects of luteolin in neurotrauma and neurodegenerative disorders and pathways involved in this mechanism. We have collected data for this study from publications in the PubMed using the keywords luteolin and mast cells, neuroinflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, and TBI. Recent reports suggest that luteolin suppresses systemic and neuroinflammatory responses in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Studies have shown that luteolin exhibits neuroprotective effects through various mechanisms, including suppressing immune cell activation, such as mast cells, and inflammatory mediators released from these cells. In addition, luteolin can suppress neuroinflammatory response, activation of microglia and astrocytes, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and the severity of neuroinflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and TBI pathogenesis. In conclusion, luteolin can improve cognitive decline and enhance neuroprotection in neurodegenerative diseases, TBI, and stroke.

Acute Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Neuroinflammatory Response and Neurovascular Disorders in the Brain.

Acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, cognitive decline, psychological disorders, increased blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and microvascular damage in the brain. Inflammatory mediators secreted from activated glial cells, neurons, and mast cells are implicated in the pathogenesis of TBI through secondary brain damage. Abnormalities or damage to the neurovascular unit is the indication of secondary injuries in the brain after TBI. However, the precise mechanisms of molecular and ultrastructural neurovascular alterations involved in the pathogenesis of acute TBI are not yet clearly understood. Moreover, currently, there are no precision-targeted effective treatment options to prevent the sequelae of TBI. In this study, mice were subjected to closed head weight-drop-induced acute TBI and evaluated neuroinflammatory and neurovascular alterations in the brain by immunofluorescence staining or quantitation by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) procedure. Mast cell stabilizer drug cromolyn was administered to inhibit the neuroinflammatory response of TBI. Results indicate decreased level of pericyte marker platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta (PDGFR-ß) and BBB-associated tight junction proteins junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in the brains 7 days after weight-drop-induced acute TBI as compared with the brains from sham control mice indicating acute TBI-associated BBB/tight junction protein disruption. Further, the administration of cromolyn drug significantly inhibited acute TBI-associated decrease of PDGFR-ß, JAM-A, and ZO-1 in the brain. These findings suggest that acute TBI causes BBB/tight junction damage and that cromolyn administration could protect this acute TBI-induced brain damage as well as its long-time consequences.