Effectiveness of holistic neuropsychological rehabilitation for Spanish population with acquired brain injury measured using Rasch analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The Rasch model is increasingly used in the field of rehabilitation because it improves the accuracy of measurements of patient status and their changes after therapy. OBJECTIVE: To determine the long-term effectiveness of a holistic neuropsychological rehabilitation program for Spanish outpatients with acquired brain injury (ABI) using Rasch analysis. METHODS: Eighteen patients (ten with long evolution - patients who started the program > 6 months after ABI- and eight with short evolution) and their relatives attended the program for 6 months. Patients' and relatives' answers to the European Brain Injury Questionnaire and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale at 3 time points (pre-intervention. post-intervention and 12 month follow-up) were transformed into linear measures called logits. RESULTS: The linear measures revealed significant improvements with large effects at the follow-up assessment on cognitive and executive functioning, social and emotional self-regulation, apathy and mood. At follow-up, the short evolution group achieved greater improvements in mood and cognitive functioning than the long evolution patients. CONCLUSIONS: The program showed long-term effectiveness for most of the variables, and it was more effective for mood and cognitive functioning when patients were treated early. Relatives played a key role in the effectiveness of the rehabilitation program.

Frontal behavioral and emotional symptoms in Spanish individuals with acquired brain injury and substance use disorders.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with acquired brain injury affecting the frontal cortex and individuals with substance use disorders share a range of behavioral problems, including apathy, poor self-control, and executive dysfunction. The Frontal Systems Behavioral Scale (FrSBe) is a self-report instrument designed to measure behavioral problems resulting from damage to the frontal-striatal neural systems, involved both in brain insult and addiction. The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to compare the scores from the Spanish version of the FrSBe with the norms collected for American, English-speaking population; and (2) to examine the ability of the FrSBe to discriminate between two clinical populations (acquired brain injury (ABI) and addiction) with putative frontal dysfunction, as compared to a group of healthy participants. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 139 volunteers participated including 46 patients with frontal ABI (F-ABI), 57 abstinent substance abusers, and 36 healthy controls from the Spanish population. A Spanish version of the FrSBe was administered to all participants. We conducted multivariate analyses of variance to examine group differences across the three subscales: apathy, disinhibition, and executive dysfunction; and in the FrSBe total score. RESULTS: F-ABI and substance abusers had higher scores (i.e., greater impairment) than controls on the FrSBe total score; F-ABI patients scored significantly higher than substance abusers, and substance abusers significantly higher than controls. For specific subscales, F-ABI patients had higher scores than substance abusers and controls in the subscales of apathy, disinhibition and executive dysfunction, whereas substance abusers had greater executive dysfunction than controls. CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish version of the FrSBe is a useful instrument for the detection of behavioral problems associated with frontal systems dysfunction in two clinical samples of Spanish-speakers.

Detection of malingering in a Spanish population using three specific malingering tests.

The detection of feigned cognitive impairment remains difficult and may be even more challenging in certain population groups. Studies on the use of neuropsychological tests in ethnic groups for which they were not designed have shown variations in performance associated with cultural differences. With this background, our group studied a Spanish population by applying commonly used procedures [Victoria Symptom Validity Test (VSVT), Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM), and the b test] in a group with post-concussion syndrome (PCS) (whether litigants or not) and in a group of analog malingerers (AN). These tests appeared to function adequately in this Spanish population, who showed similar performances to results published for North Americans.

[Quality of life in intracranial aneurysm: surgery versus endovascular treatment]. / Calidad de vida en pacientes con aneurismas intracraneales: cirugía versus tratamiento endovascular.

BACKGROUND: Based on earlier studies, we aimed to determine the quality of life of patients with intracranial aneurysm after their treatment by surgery or embolization and to compare the quality of life of these two groups. METHODS: The SF-36 health questionnaire was retrospectively applied to 93 patients with intracranial aneurysm treated with surgery (n=56) or embolization (n=37). RESULTS: The quality of life of some patients was impaired but 50% of patients treated with surgery and 40.5% of patients treated with embolization showed no impairment in any SF-36 domain. The quality of life in the Physical Functioning domain was higher in embolization-treated than in surgery-treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: Some patients with intracranial aneurysms treated with surgery or endovascular embolization have an impaired quality of life. Endovascular treatment may cause less limitation in physical function. The quality of life of these patients is affected by numerous factors, in addition to the type of treatment.

Calidad de vida en pacientes con aneurismas intracraneales: cirugía versus tratamiento endovascular / Quality of life in intracranial aneurysm: surgery versus endovascular treatment

Objetivo. Basados en estudios anteriores, nuestro propósito es determinar la calidad de vida de los pacientes con aneurismas intracraneales después de haber sido intervenido mediante cirugía o embolización y comparar la calidad de vida de estos dos grupos. Material y métodos. El cuestionario SF-36 fue aplicado retrospectivamente a 93 pacientes con aneurismas tratados mediante cirugía (n=56) o embolización (n=37). Resultados. La calidad de vida de los pacientes tratados con cirugía estaba deteriorada en el 50% y en los pacientes tratados por embolización el 40,5% no mostraron ningún deterioro en ninguno de los dominios delSF-36. Los análisis muestran que el dominio de la función física está menos deteriorada en los pacientes que han sido embolizados que los que han sido intervenidos quirúrgicamente. Conclusiones. Los pacientes con aneurismas intracraneales tratados mediante cirugía o embolización tienen afectada la calidad de vida. El tratamiento endovascular puede causar menos limitaciones en la función física. En la calidad de vida de estos pacientes influyen varios factores, además del tipo de tratamiento

Background. Based on earlier studies, we aimed to determine the quality of life of patients with intracranial aneurysm after their treatment by surgery or embolization and to compare the quality of life of these two groups. Methods. The SF-36 health questionnaire was retrospectively applied to 93 patients with intracranial aneurysm treated with surgery (n=56) or embolization(n=37).Results. The quality of life of some patients was impaired but 50% of patients treated with surgery and40,5% of patients treated with embolization showed no impairment in any SF-36 domain. The quality of life in the Physical Functioning domain was higher in embolization-treated than in surgery-treated patients. Conclusions. Some patients with intracranial aneurysms treated with surgery or endovascular embolization have an impaired quality of life. Endovascular treatment may cause less limitation in physical function. The quality of life of these patients is affected by numerous factors, in addition to the type of treatment