Clinical application of recommendations for neurobehavioral assessment in disorders of consciousness: an interdisciplinary approach.

Accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and subsequent rehabilitation care planning for persons with Disorders of Consciousness (DoC) has historically posed a challenge for neurological care professionals. Evidence suggests rates of misdiagnosis may be as high as 40% when informal beside evaluations are used to determine level of consciousness. The presence of myriad medical, neurological, functional (motor, sensory, cognitive) and environmental confounds germane to these conditions complicates behavioral assessment. Achieving diagnostic certainty is elusive but critical to inform care planning, clinical decision making, and prognostication. Standardized neurobehavioral rating scales has been shown to improve accuracy in distinguishing between coma, unresponsive wakefulness syndrome/vegetative state and minimally consciousness state as compared to informal assessment methods. Thus, these scales are currently recommended for use as the informal "gold standard" for diagnostic assessment in DoC. The following paper will present an evidence-based approach to neurobehavioral assessment for use in clinical practice. Strategies for optimizing assessment and aiding in identification and management of confounds that can limit diagnostic accuracy will be provided. Finally, clinical application of an interdisciplinary approach to identifying and managing confounds will be discussed and how assessment results can be used to identify trends in performance and guide prognostic counseling with families.

Tardive Dyskinesia in a Postoperative Gynecological Patient After Single Dose Administration of Metoclopramide.

Metoclopramide is a dopamine D2-receptor blocking agent commonly used to treat nausea, vomiting, and gastroparesis. Due to their mechanism of action, these drugs can lead to extrapyramidal side effects such as tardive dyskinesia. In this article, we report a case of a nulliparous gynecology patient who developed dyskinetic movements after intraoperative administration of metoclopramide. During further workup after stabilization, she was found to have several risk factors for tardive dyskinesia. As the occurrence of this phenomenon is somewhat rare, this case report aims to discuss the condition, associated risk factors, and differentiation from other diagnoses.

Brain Injury Functional Outcome Measure (BI-FOM): A Single Instrument Capturing the Range of Recovery in Moderate-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a measure of global functioning after moderate-severe TBI with similar measurement precision but a longer measurement range than the FIM. DESIGN: Phase 1: retrospective analysis of 5 data sets containing FIM, Disability Rating Scale, and other assessment items to identify candidate items for extending the measurement range of the FIM; Phase 2: prospective administration of 49 candidate items from phase 1, with Rasch analysis to identify a unidimensional scale with an extended range. SETTING: Six TBI Model System rehabilitation hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals (N=184) with moderate-severe injury recruited during inpatient rehabilitation or at 1-year telephone follow-up. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were administered the 49 assessment items in person or via telephone. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Item response theory parameters: item monotonicity, infit/outfit statistics, and Factor 1 variance. RESULTS: After collapsing misordered rating categories and removing misfitting items, we derived the Brain Injury Functional Outcome Measure (BI-FOM), a 31-item assessment instrument with high reliability, greatly extended measurement range, and improved unidimensionality compared with the FIM. CONCLUSIONS: The BI-FOM improves global measurement of function after moderate-severe brain injury. Its high precision, relative lack of floor and ceiling effects, and feasibility for telephone follow-up, if replicated in an independent sample, are substantial advantages.

Hydatidiform Mole in a Patient With a Concern for Neoplasia: A Case Report.

Molar pregnancy or a hydatidiform mole, also referred to as gestational trophoblastic disease, is an abnormal type of pregnancy, in which a potentially anomalous egg is abnormally fertilized resulting in a subsequently non-viable conceptus becoming an enlarged growth in the uterus with dangerous complications. These moles can occur as either complete or partial moles, each with its own unique features. In this article, we report a case of a pregnant woman who presented to her primary care doctor with the chief complaint of shortness of breath. Upon further questioning, she was found to have slight vaginal bleeding. Further workup of the unexplained bleeding revealed a small, yet concerning molar pregnancy, and led to our encounter with the patient on her operating day for a dilation and curettage. As these moles are somewhat rare occurrences, this case report aims to describe the condition, with a focus on management and outcomes.

Post-traumatic Confusional State: A Case Definition and Diagnostic Criteria.

In response to the need to better define the natural history of emerging consciousness after traumatic brain injury and to better describe the characteristics of the condition commonly labeled posttraumatic amnesia, a case definition and diagnostic criteria for the posttraumatic confusional state (PTCS) were developed. This project was completed by the Confusion Workgroup of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Brain Injury Interdisciplinary Special Interest group. The case definition was informed by an exhaustive literature review and expert opinion of workgroup members from multiple disciplines. The workgroup reviewed 2466 abstracts and extracted evidence from 44 articles. Consensus was reached through teleconferences, face-to-face meetings, and 3 rounds of modified Delphi voting. The case definition provides detailed description of PTCS (1) core neurobehavioral features, (2) associated neurobehavioral features, (3) functional implications, (4) exclusion criteria, (5) lower boundary, and (6) criteria for emergence. Core neurobehavioral features include disturbances of attention, orientation, and memory as well as excessive fluctuation. Associated neurobehavioral features include emotional and behavioral disturbances, sleep-wake cycle disturbance, delusions, perceptual disturbances, and confabulation. The lower boundary distinguishes PTCS from the minimally conscious state, while upper boundary is marked by significant improvement in the 4 core and 5 associated features. Key research goals are establishment of cutoffs on assessment instruments and determination of levels of behavioral function that distinguish persons in PTCS from those who have emerged to the period of continued recovery.

Minimum Competency Recommendations for Programs That Provide Rehabilitation Services for Persons With Disorders of Consciousness: A Position Statement of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems.

Persons who have disorders of consciousness (DoC) require care from multidisciplinary teams with specialized training and expertise in management of the complex needs of this clinical population. The recent promulgation of practice guidelines for patients with prolonged DoC by the American Academy of Neurology, American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM), and National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) represents a major advance in the development of care standards in this area of brain injury rehabilitation. Implementation of these practice guidelines requires explication of the minimum competencies of clinical programs providing services to persons who have DoC. The Brain Injury Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group of the ACRM, in collaboration with the Disorders of Consciousness Special Interest Group of the NIDILRR-Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems convened a multidisciplinary panel of experts to address this need through the present position statement. Content area-specific workgroups reviewed relevant peer-reviewed literature and drafted recommendations which were then evaluated by the expert panel using a modified Delphi voting process. The process yielded 21 recommendations on the structure and process of essential services required for effective DoC-focused rehabilitation, organized into 4 categories: diagnostic and prognostic assessment (4 recommendations), treatment (11 recommendations), transitioning care/long-term care needs (5 recommendations), and management of ethical issues (1 recommendation). With few exceptions, these recommendations focus on infrastructure requirements and operating procedures for the provision of DoC-focused neurorehabilitation services across subacute and postacute settings.

Evidence-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation: Systematic Review of the Literature From 2009 Through 2014.

OBJECTIVES: To conduct an updated, systematic review of the clinical literature, classify studies based on the strength of research design, and derive consensual, evidence-based clinical recommendations for cognitive rehabilitation of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke. DATA SOURCES: Online PubMed and print journal searches identified citations for 250 articles published from 2009 through 2014. STUDY SELECTION: Selected for inclusion were 186 articles after initial screening. Fifty articles were initially excluded (24 focusing on patients without neurologic diagnoses, pediatric patients, or other patients with neurologic diagnoses, 10 noncognitive interventions, 13 descriptive protocols or studies, 3 nontreatment studies). Fifteen articles were excluded after complete review (1 other neurologic diagnosis, 2 nontreatment studies, 1 qualitative study, 4 descriptive articles, 7 secondary analyses). 121 studies were fully reviewed. DATA EXTRACTION: Articles were reviewed by the Cognitive Rehabilitation Task Force (CRTF) members according to specific criteria for study design and quality, and classified as providing class I, class II, or class III evidence. Articles were assigned to 1 of 6 possible categories (based on interventions for attention, vision and neglect, language and communication skills, memory, executive function, or comprehensive-integrated interventions). DATA SYNTHESIS: Of 121 studies, 41 were rated as class I, 3 as class Ia, 14 as class II, and 63 as class III. Recommendations were derived by CRTF consensus from the relative strengths of the evidence, based on the decision rules applied in prior reviews. CONCLUSIONS: CRTF has now evaluated 491 articles (109 class I or Ia, 68 class II, and 314 class III) and makes 29 recommendations for evidence-based practice of cognitive rehabilitation (9 Practice Standards, 9 Practice Guidelines, 11 Practice Options). Evidence supports Practice Standards for (1) attention deficits after TBI or stroke; (2) visual scanning for neglect after right-hemisphere stroke; (3) compensatory strategies for mild memory deficits; (4) language deficits after left-hemisphere stroke; (5) social-communication deficits after TBI; (6) metacognitive strategy training for deficits in executive functioning; and (7) comprehensive-holistic neuropsychological rehabilitation to reduce cognitive and functional disability after TBI or stroke.

Functional outcomes following post-acute rehabilitation for moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the benefits of long-term inpatient rehabilitation for individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). METHODS: Retrospective database review of 67 individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI admitted to a specialised inpatient TBI program. Outcome measures are as follows: (1) functional independence measure + functional assessment measure (FIM+FAM; admission, discharge, change scores); (2) discharge designation (community vs. long-term care (LTC)). RESULTS: There was a mean improvement on FIM+FAM of 54.19 points (SD = 35.63) or 67% between admission and discharge (t(66) = -12.45, p < 0.001). Mean time post-injury upon completion of therapy was 409.59 days (SD = 343.93). Upon completion of rehabilitation, 50 (75%) participants were discharged to community and 17 to LTC. Among those returning to community, those with longer length of stays were more severely disabled on admission (t(35.9) = -4.86, p < 0.001). Controlling for admission functional status, individuals returning to community following >90 days of therapy required a mean of 378.94 days (SD = 298.86) to achieve comparable gains to those less impaired who received shorter periods of rehabilitation (F(1) = 0.530, p = 0.47). CONCLUSION: Continued specialised inpatient services following acute inpatient rehabilitation for individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI can reduce the level of dependency and enhance the likelihood of return to community living.

Clinical management of the minimally conscious state.

The minimally conscious state (MCS) was defined as a disorder of consciousness (DoC) distinct from the vegetative state more than a decade ago. While this condition has become widely recognized, there are still no guidelines to steer the approach to assessment and treatment. The development of evidence-based practice guidelines for MCS has been hampered by ambiguity around the concept of consciousness, the lack of accurate methods of assessment, and the dearth of well-designed clinical trials. This chapter provides a critical review of existing assessment procedures, critically reviews available treatment options and identifies knowledge gaps. We close with practice-based recommendations for a rational approach to clinical management of this challenging population.

Zolpidem and restoration of consciousness.

OBJECTIVE: Zolpidem has been reported to cause temporary recovery of consciousness in vegetative and minimally conscious patients, but how often and why this occurs are unknown. The authors aimed to determine the frequency of this phenomenon and whether it can be predicted from demographic and clinical variables. DESIGN: This is a placebo-controlled, double-blind, single-dose, crossover study performed by caregivers and replicated by trained professionals, for naive participants. Four previously identified responders were also studied to further characterize the clinical drug response. RESULTS: Eighty-four participants with traumatic and nontraumatic disorders of consciousness of at least 4 mos' duration were studied. Four "definite responders" were identified, but no demographic or clinical features were predictive of the response. Indicators of a drug response included increased movement, social interaction, command following, attempts at communication, and functional object use; typically lasted 1-2 hrs; and sometimes ended with increased somnolence. Adverse events were more common on zolpidem than placebo, but most were rated as mild. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 5% (4.8%) of the participants responded to zolpidem, but the responders could not be distinguished in advance from the nonresponders. Future research is needed to understand the mechanism of zolpidem in enhancing consciousness and its potential role in treatment and research.

Assessment scales for disorders of consciousness: evidence-based recommendations for clinical practice and research.

OBJECTIVES: To conduct a systematic review of behavioral assessment scales for disorders of consciousness (DOC); provide evidence-based recommendations for clinical use based on their content validity, reliability, diagnostic validity, and ability to predict functional outcomes; and provide research recommendations on DOC scale development and validation. DATA SOURCES: Articles published through March 31, 2009, using MEDLINE, CINAHL, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Biomedical Reference Collection, and PsycINFO. Thirteen primary terms that defined DOC were paired with 30 secondary terms that defined aspects of measurement. Scale names, abbreviations, and authors were also used as search terms. Task force members identified additional articles by using personal knowledge and examination of references in reviewed articles. STUDY SELECTION: Primary criteria included the following: (1) provided reliability, diagnostic validity, and/or prognostic validity data; (2) examined a cohort, case control, or case series sample of persons with DOC who were age older than or equal to 18 years; and (3) assessed in an acute care or rehabilitation setting. Articles were excluded if peer review was not conducted, original data were not reported, or an English language article was not available. The initial search yielded 580 articles. After paired rater review of study abstracts, guideline development was based on 37 articles representing 13 DOC scales. DATA EXTRACTION: Rater pairs classified studies addressing diagnostic and prognostic validity by using the American Academy of Neurology 4-tier level of evidence scheme, and reliability by using a task force-developed 3-tier evidence scheme. An independent quality review of ratings was conducted, and corrections were made. DATA SYNTHESIS: The Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R), Sensory Stimulation Assessment Measure (SSAM), Wessex Head Injury Matrix (WHIM), Western Neuro Sensory Stimulation Profile (WNSSP), Sensory Modality Assessment Technique (SMART), Disorders of Consciousness Scale (DOCS), and Coma/Near-Coma Scale (CNC) have acceptable standardized administration and scoring procedures. The CRS-R has excellent content validity and is the only scale to address all Aspen Workgroup criteria. The SMART, SSAM, WHIM, and WNSSP demonstrate good content validity, containing items that could distinguish persons who are in a vegetative state, are in a minimally conscious state (MCS), or have emerged from MCS. The Full Outline of UnResponsiveness Score (FOUR), WNSSP, CRS-R, Comprehensive Levels of Consciousness Scale (CLOCS), and Innsbruck Coma Scale (INNS) showed substantial evidence of internal consistency. The FOUR and the CRS-R showed substantial evidence of good interrater reliability. Evidence of diagnostic validity and prognostic validity in brain injury survivor samples had very high levels of potential bias because of methodologic issues such as lack of rater masking. CONCLUSIONS: The CRS-R may be used to assess DOC with minor reservations, and the SMART, WNSSP, SSAM, WHIM, and DOCS may be used to assess DOC with moderate reservations. The CNC may be used to assess DOC with major reservations. The FOUR, INNS, Glasgow-Liege Coma Scale, Swedish Reaction Level Scale-1985, Loewenstein Communication Scale, and CLOCS are not recommended at this time for bedside behavioral assessment of DOC because of a lack of content validity, lack of standardization, and/or unproven reliability.

One-year follow-up of feasibility and safety of the first U.S., randomized, controlled study using 3-dimensional guided catheter-based delivery of autologous skeletal myoblasts for ischemic cardiomyopathy (CAuSMIC study).

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to test safety and feasibility of myoblast transplantation with the Biosense-NOGA (Diamond Bar, California) 3-dimensional-guided endomyocardial delivery system. BACKGROUND: Previous Phase-1 trials showed feasibility of epicardial injection of myoblasts. However, catheter-based delivery has several advantages: it can be applied on high-risk patients, the procedure can be repeated, and it is associated with less morbidity and mortality. METHODS: Twenty-three subjects, with previous myocardial infarction and heart failure, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II to IV, were enrolled, 11 control and 12 treatment subjects. To assess safety, physical exam, electrocardiogram, continuous rhythm monitoring, quality of life assessments, and heart function were evaluated at baseline and follow-up until 1 year. RESULTS: There was favorable safety: no difference between groups in arrhythmias, and no deaths. Treated subjects showed sustained improvements in NYHA and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) compared with control subjects (NYHA, -1.0 point in treatment vs. +0.3 point in control group, p < 0.0004; MLHFQ, -14 point in treatment vs. +1 point in the control group, p = 0.004). Blinded core laboratory echocardiography evaluations showed sustained reductions in the treatment versus control in end diastolic diameter (-0.03 cm vs. +0.05 cm, p = 0.07) and end systolic diameter (-0.05 cm vs. +0.1 cm, p = 0.07). Finally, NOGA voltage mapping demonstrated improved voltage measurements (+1.0 mV, p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: This trial of myoblast transplantation via catheter into heart failure patients demonstrated safety and feasibility. Treated patients showed improvement in NYHA, MLHFQ, ventricular viability, and evidence of reverse ventricular remodeling. These data demonstrate positive safety outcomes and warrant initiation of larger phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials.