Impact of timing of ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement on outcome in posttraumatic hydrocephalus.

OBJECTIVE Posttraumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) is a frequent sequela of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and complication of related cranial surgery. The roles of PTH and the timing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt placement in TBI outcome have not been well described. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of hydrocephalus and timing of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement on outcome during inpatient rehabilitation after TBI. METHODS In this cohort study, all TBI patients admitted to Craig Hospital between 2009 and 2013 were evaluated for PTH, defined as ventriculomegaly, and hydrocephalus symptoms, delayed or deteriorating recovery, or elevated opening pressure on lumbar puncture. Extent of ventriculomegaly was quantified by the Evans index from CT scans. Outcome measures were emergence from and duration of posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) and functional status as assessed by means of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Findings in this group were compared to findings in a group of TBI patients without PTH (controls) who were admitted for inpatient rehabilitation during the same study period and met specific criteria for inclusion. RESULTS A total of 701 patients were admitted with TBI during the study period. Of these patients, 59 (8%) were diagnosed with PTH and were included in this study as the PTH group, and 204 who were admitted for rehabilitation and met the criteria for inclusion as controls constituted the comparison group (no-PTH group). PTH was associated with initial postinjury failure to follow commands, midline shift or cistern compression, subcortical contusion, and craniotomy or craniectomy. In multivariable analyses, independent predictors of longer PTA duration and lower FIM score at rehabilitation discharge were PTH, emergency department Glasgow Coma Scale motor score < 6, and longer time from injury to rehabilitation admission. PTH accounted for a 51-day increase in PTA duration and a 29-point reduction in discharge FIM score. In 40% of PTH patients with preshunt CT brain imaging analyzed, ventriculomegaly (Evans index > 0.3) was observed 3 or more days before VP shunt placement (median 10 days, range 3-102 days). Among PTH patients who received a VP shunt, earlier placement was associated with better outcome by all measures assessed and independently predicted better FIM total score and shorter PTA duration. CONCLUSIONS Posttraumatic hydrocephalus predicts worse outcome during inpatient rehabilitation, with poorer functional outcomes and longer duration of PTA. In shunt-treated PTH patients, earlier CSF shunting predicted improved recovery. These results suggest that clinical vigilance for PTH onset and additional studies on timing of CSF diversion are warranted.

The Craig Hospital Eye Evaluation Rating Scale (CHEERS).

BACKGROUND: Oculomotor deficits in smooth pursuit, saccades, vestibular-ocular reflex (VOR), vergence, and fixation are common problems seen after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). No scale currently exists to rate all of these together. The Craig Hospital Eye Evaluation Rating Scale (CHEERS) was designed to systematically quantify frequency and severity of eye movement deficits in TBI. OBJECTIVE: To assess the intra- and interrater reliability of a new rating scale for detecting the presence and degree of 5 oculomotor abnormalities after TBI. DESIGN: A reliability study. SETTING: This was an institution-based study at Craig Rehabilitation Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: English-speaking patients between ages 18 and 65 years with a primary diagnosis of moderate to severe mechanical TBI and who were not blind in either eye were eligible. METHODS: Between October 2013 and March 2014, a total of 11 TBI patients and 9 non-TBI controls were enrolled in the study. The median age was 30 years (range, 18-74 years) for subjects and 52 years (range, 28-63 years) for controls. All patients were male, and 8 of 9 controls were female. Eye movements (fixation, smooth pursuit, saccade, convergence, and vestibular-ocular reflex) were recorded for each on digital video. They were rated on 2 separate occasions by each of the 2 raters. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Inter- and intrarater reliability tests. RESULTS: Median elapsed time between the first and second ratings was 7 days (range, 5-44 days). Intrarater agreement was very strong (Spearman ρ ≥ 0.900) for pursuit, saccades, and VOR for both raters, and strong (Spearman ρ ≥ 0.710) for vergence and fixation. The interrater agreement for detecting presence of any oculomotor abnormality was substantial (unweighted κ = 0.63). The interrater concordance on the full range of scale scoring was strongest on the VOR test (weighted κ = 0.98), was substantial for vergence, pursuit, saccades, and total score (weighted κ > 0.60), and was moderate for fixation. For TBI patients, every eye movement rated was found to be more abnormal than compared to those in the controls. CONCLUSIONS: CHEERS is a reliable scale for assessing and quantifying oculomotor deficits commonly observed in moderate to severe TBI. Further studies to validate the scale's utility in outcome prediction, and its applicability to broader brain injury populations, are warranted. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Posttraumatic Hydrocephalus as a Confounding Influence on Brain Injury Rehabilitation: Incidence, Clinical Characteristics, and Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To describe incidence, clinical characteristics, complications, and outcomes in posttraumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) for patients treated in an inpatient rehabilitation program. DESIGN: Cohort study with retrospective comparative analysis. SETTING: Inpatient rehabilitation hospital. PARTICIPANTS: All patients admitted for TBI from 2009 to 2013 diagnosed with PTH (N=59), defined as ventriculomegaly, delayed clinical recovery discordant with injury severity, hydrocephalus symptoms, or positive lumbar puncture results. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary measures were incidence of PTH and patient and injury characteristics. Secondary measures included frequency and timing of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt, related complications, emergence from and duration of posttraumatic amnesia (PTA), Rancho Los Amigos Scale (RLAS) score, and FIM score at rehabilitation admission and discharge. RESULTS: Of 701 patients with TBI admitted, 59 (8%) were diagnosed with PTH. Of these, the median age was 25 years, with 73% being men. At initial presentation, 52 (88%) did not follow commands. Fifty-two (90%) patients with PTH had a VP shunt placed. Median time from injury to shunt placement was 69 (range, 9-366) days. Seven (12%) patients with PTH experienced postsurgical seizure, 3 (6%) had shunt infection, and 7 (12%) had shunt malfunction. Thirty-six (61%) patients with PTH emerged from PTA during rehabilitation. Median total FIM score at rehabilitation admission was 20 (range, 18-76), and at discharge it was 43 (range, 18-118). Injury severity predicted outcome at rehabilitation admission, whereas shunt timing predicted outcome at rehabilitation discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Incidence of PTH was observed in 8% of patients with TBI in inpatient rehabilitation. Earlier shunting predicted improved outcome during rehabilitation. Future studies should prospectively examine clinical decision rules, type, and timing of intervention and the coeffectiveness of rehabilitation treatment on outcomes.

The Effect of Allopurinol on Renal Function.

BACKGROUND: Hyperuricemia is associated with development of gout, hypertension, and renal disease. The impact of allopurinol, a urate-lowering therapy, on renal function is unclear, especially in patients with chronic kidney disease who are at higher risk of hypersensitivity reaction. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of allopurinol on kidney function in hyperuricemic male veterans. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study using pharmacy, medical, and laboratory records of veterans enrolled at the Veterans Administration New York Harbor Healthcare System, Brooklyn campus. Fifty patients with hyperuricemia defined as a serum uric acid greater than 7 mg/dL (average of ~9 mg/dL), newly started on allopurinol for any reason, with evidence of treatment compliance, were matched by age, race, sex, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (EGFR) to 50 hyperuricemic control subjects. The retrospective cases were observed from October 2000 until November 2006, at which time there was a change in the laboratory analyzer, making further comparisons inappropriate. RESULTS: On average, patients treated with a mean 221 (SD, 96) mg/d dose of allopurinol achieved 11.9 mL/min higher GFR (95% confidence interval, 4.8-11.9 mg/d dose; P = 0.01) than did the control group. Treatment effect was found to depend on the initial EGFR, as indicated by the significant treatment by initial EGFR interaction (P = 0.004) and increased with a higher initial EGFR. The allopurinol-treated group had a 0.10 mg/dL lower final creatinine level (95% confidence interval, 0.003-0.20 mg/dL; P = 0.04) than did the control subjects, adjusted for initial creatinine and age. The average length of follow-up was 3.4 years. There were 5 mild adverse events in the treated cases. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of hyperuricemic patients with allopurinol over an average of 3.4 years resulted in a significant improvement of kidney function in this male cohort from the Veterans Administration Healthcare System. Clinicians should consider this potential benefit of allopurinol in the treatment of patients with hyperuricemia, those with overall maintained renal function.

Initial validation of personal self-advocacy measures for individuals with acquired brain injury.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of 2 novel measures assessing personal advocacy, self-efficacy and personal advocacy activities in individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI). DESIGN: This was an instrument development study using (a) expert panel review with a content validity index, (b) consumer survey, and (c) Rasch analysis. Participants were adults (N = 162) with ABI recruited through a community survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Participants completed the Self-Advocacy Scale (SAS) and the Personal Advocacy Activity Scale (PAAS). RESULTS: Using Rasch analysis to inform instrument development, after modification on the basis of item response theory analysis, the SAS, a measure of advocacy self-efficacy, was found to be unidimensional with an eigenvalue of 1.6, exhibited monotonicity, and had an item reliability of 0.97. Similarly, the PAAS, a measure of advocacy activity, was found to exhibit monotonicity, is unidimensional (eigenvalue of 1.7) and had an item reliability of 0.97. Both measures demonstrated concurrent validity, because they were significantly correlated with other established measures of related constructs and with each other. A separation reliability of 0.97 (real not model) for both the SAS and PAAS suggests that items will likely hold their relative positions in a similar sample. CONCLUSIONS: This study supported the PAAS and the SAS as reliable and valid measures of personal advocacy activity and associated self-efficacy in individuals post-ABI. (PsycINFO Database Record

Dermatologic manifestation of hyperandrogenism: a retrospective chart review.

Several studies have described a wide spectrum of hyperandrogenism diseases, many of which are difficult to distinguish from each other. In order to better understand diseases of hyperandrogenism, the authors performed a retrospective study of the cutaneous features and metabolic findings in women with hyperandrogenism. A retrospective chart analysis compiled by three dermatologists in both academic and private settings was performed, including patients presenting with > or = 2 manifestations of hyperandrogenism. Relevant dermatologic and associated manifestations and laboratory and imaging study findings were reviewed. Moderate to severe acne was the most common manifestation. Other common manifestations that patients first presented with include hirsutism, acanthosis nigricans, androgenic alopecia, and skin tags. Oligomenorrhea was the most common systemic presenting sign. Statistical analysis of various clinical markers revealed correlations with hyperandrogenemia. Acanthosis nigricans and hirsutism were found to be useful clinical markers for hyperandrogenism, whereas androgenic alopecia was not. This study provides some insights into the presentation and diverse manifestations seen in hyperandrogenism.

Relationship of speech-language pathology inpatient rehabilitation interventions and patient characteristics to outcomes following spinal cord injury: the SCIRehab project.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Describe associations of patient characteristics and speech-language pathology (SLP) interventions provided during impatient rehabilitation for spinal cord injury (SCI) to outcomes at discharge and 1-year post-injury. METHODS: Speech-language pathologists at six inpatient rehabilitation centers documented details of treatment provided. Least squares regression modeling was used to predict outcomes at discharge and 1-year injury anniversary. Cognitive, participation, and mood outcomes for a subsample of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cognitive-communication limitations (CCLs) were examined. RESULTS: SLP treatment factors explain a small amount of variation in cognitive Functional Independence Measure (FIM), participation, and mood. Variation explained by treatment factors for cognitive outcomes at the time of discharge increased when the patient group was more homogeneous (patients with TBI and CCLs). More time in SLP cognitive-communication interventions had a negative relationship, while longer length of stay was positive. The added explanatory power was not seen for similar outcomes at 1-year post-injury. CONCLUSION: Patients with SCI who have the greatest need for interventions to address cognitive limitations due to TBI receive the most SLP cognitive-communication treatment and show the greatest amount of improvement during rehabilitation. Their cognitive functioning remained impaired at discharge; this likely accounts for the consistent finding that more hours of SLP cognitive-communication treatment is associated with lower cognitive FIM scores at discharge. Future research on individuals with dual SCI and TBI should include more comprehensive assessment of individual differences in cognitive performance in order to better examine the complex relationships between SLP treatments and outcomes. Note: This is the fifth of nine articles in this SCIRehab series.

Magnetic resonance imaging of traumatic brain injury: relationship of T2*SE and T2GE to clinical severity and outcome.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate (1) the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2* weighted gradient echo (GE) vs T2 weighted spin echo (SE) technology for lesion detection in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and (2) the relationship of lesion patterns to acute clinical severity and 1 year post-injury outcome measures. RESEARCH DESIGN: Comparative analysis. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Forty-three acute rehabilitation patients with TBI were imaged utilizing T2 SE and T2* GE techniques an average of 26 days post-injury. Acute clinical severity measures, including Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), time to follow commands (TFC) and post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) were abstracted from medical records. One-year post-injury outcome measures including Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), Disability Rating Scale (DRS) and the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique--Short Form (CHART-SF) were collected as part of a comprehensive annual follow-up. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: In comparison to T2 SE, T2* GE more frequently detected lesions in each of the cortical (p <0.0001), white matter (p <0.001), central grey (p <0.001) and brainstem (p <0.01) regions and in each of the frontal (p <0.0001), temporal (p <0.0001), parietal (p <0.001) and occipital (p <0.0001) lobes. With regards to acute clinical severity measures, T2* GE findings were the best predictors of GCS and the only significant predictors of PTA, while T2 SE findings were better predictors of TFC. For 1 year post-injury outcome measures, multivariate regression models utilizing T2 SE and T2* GE findings in combination were the best predictors of DRS and GOS and T2 SE findings alone were the best predictors of CHART-SF. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the enhanced sensitivity of T2* GE for detecting haemorrhagic lesions associated with TBI and supports a complimentary role for both T2 SE and T2* GE weighted imaging in characterizing injury severity and predicting longer-term outcomes.