Brain Injury
July 13, 2012
B. Johansson, H. Bjuhr, L. Rönnbäck
221 citations
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) may help reduce mental fatigue after a stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI). In a study of 29 participants—18 with stroke and 11 with TBI—those who completed an 8-week MBSR program showed significant improvements on a self-assessment scale for mental fatigue and on two neuropsychological tests (Digit Symbol-Coding and Trail Making Test) compared with a control group that received no active treatment. The results suggest MBSR is a promising non-pharmacological treatment for mental fatigue, which currently has no effective therapy and severely limits work and social participation.
Brain Injury
August 1, 2014
Martino Napolitani, Olivier Bodart, Paola Canali et al.
44 citations
Transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with high-density electroencephalography (TMS-hdEEG) offers advantages over other brain imaging techniques for assessing consciousness. A key requirement for consciousness is the brain's capacity to rapidly integrate information across specialized cortical areas. TMS-EEG stimulates any cortical area and records immediate electrical responses, successfully measuring changes in brain complexity under physiological, pharmacological, and pathological conditions. This technique reliably discriminates between conscious and unconscious patients at the single subject level, though further validation as a clinical tool is needed.
Brain Injury
January 1, 2015
Musa Sami, Katie Piggott, Claire Coysh et al.
11 citations
A 57-year-old man with a severe brain injury developed a severe psychotic disorder 19 years later, apparently triggered by heavy use of psychedelic substances including cannabis, salvia divinorum, ketamine, LSD, cocaine, and DMT. The psychosis persisted even when he was not intoxicated and was marked by apathy, lack of concern, and abulia. The case suggests that heavy psychedelic substance misuse may potentiate a transition to psychosis in individuals with prior brain injury. The authors note that substance misuse has traditionally been an exclusion criterion for studying psychosis in this patient group and argue it should be investigated as a risk factor.
Brain Injury
May 5, 2025
Vibeke Wagner, Jakob Rud Sørensen, Christina Kruuse et al.
3 citations
Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) may help improve physical recovery and arousal in people with severe acquired brain injury who have impaired consciousness or cognitive functioning, but the evidence is limited. A scoping review of seven studies involving 162 participants found that RAGT was used mainly to support physical recovery, stimulate arousal, and ensure safety during early mobilization. Twenty-six different outcome measures were reported, indicating a lack of standardization. The review identifies a research gap: the rationales for using RAGT in this population need further investigation, and standardized outcome measures must be established. While RAGT shows potential for improving functional recovery and consciousness, future studies must address safety and feasibility while navigating ethical challenges.
Brain Injury
July 28, 2024
Birgitta Johansson, E Dalhielm
1 citation
An online self-study Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program was tested for people with mental fatigue after an acquired brain injury. Sixty participants were randomly assigned to the online MBSR course or a waitlist control group. Sixteen completed the MBSR program. No significant difference between groups was found overall, but the MBSR group showed significant reductions in mental fatigue, depression, and anxiety with large-to-medium effect sizes. The control group showed no significant changes. The online MBSR program can be feasible for those with less severe mental fatigue and emotional symptoms, while others may need a program adapted to their needs.
Brain Injury
August 12, 2020
Ginger Polich, S. Gray, D. Tran et al.
A pilot randomized clinical trial compared mobile neurofeedback (mNF) meditation with traditional focused attention (FA) meditation for managing chronic symptoms after mild-moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants practiced either FA (n = 10) or mNF (n = 10) meditation 12 minutes daily for 6 weeks. No significant between-group differences were found on the primary outcome (Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory) or secondary measures. In an exploratory analysis combining both groups, meditation was associated with significant improvements on symptom, anxiety, and depression scales. The authors conclude that meditating with neurofeedback does not appear to provide an advantage over meditating on one's own for chronic post-TBI symptoms.