View clinical trials related to Brain Injuries.
Filter by:Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) feasible and acceptable for adults with severe Traumatic Brain Injury (sTBI) in inpatient services? sTBI is associated with depression, anxiety and low self awareness. A key factor in recovery is adjustment to the effects of injury. Psychological intervention may facilitate this change; however what works is unclear. ACT seeks to improve psychological flexibility; the ability to be present with difficult thoughts and emotions, rather than fighting them, and to accept ourselves as we are, not what we believe we should be. Current research is limited, but what is published suggests it may be useful for this group. Due to the limited research this pilot study aims to conduct preliminary analysis on the acceptability and feasibility of ACT for people with sTBI whilst also examining the suitability of the study protocol in order to make recommendations for future studies. Clients and staff from three Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT) centres will be recruited, one of which will serve as the intervention centre. Clients in the intervention group will be asked to complete questionnaires a week before and after participation in the 6 week ACT programme. Clients in the comparison group will be asked to complete questionnaires a week before and after receiving 6 weeks of treatment as usual (TAU). The treatment group will also receive TAU. All participants will be invited to participate in a focus group at the end of this 8 week period to discuss their involvement in the study. Staff will be asked to complete a parallel version of one of the client questionnaires within a similar timeframe. In addition staff at the intervention centre will be invited to attend a focus group and complete an additional questionnaire after the eight week period.
This study is conducted over 18 months. The main objective of this study is to test and compare the relevance and reliability of different tools for measuring the anosognosia. Secondary objectives are : - identify the relevant test who are able to evaluate more specially the cognitive processes involved in anosognosia - explore the links between the anosognosia manifestations and the psychological manifestations
This study examine the possible microstructural changes in the middle brain after mTBI using diffusion MRI
Effect of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy on Chronic Neurogenic Heterotopic Ossification in Traumatic Brain Injured (TBI) patients Chronic Neurogenic Heterotopic Ossification (NHO) - Heterotopic ossification is a well known late complication of traumatic brain injury. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy - ESWT- is used in various medical situations and is being tested for feasibility of use in TBI patients.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) particularly affects the frontal lobes and patients often suffer from executive dysfunction and behavioral disturbances. These types of injuries often involve axonal damage to pre frontal brain areas, which mediate various cognitive and behavioral functions. Dorsolateral prefrontal circuit lesions cause executive dysfunction, orbitofrontal circuit lesions lead to personality changes characterized by disinhibition and anterior cingulate circuit lesions present with apathy. Patients who suffered traumatic frontal lobe damage often demonstrate a lasting, profound disturbance of emotional regulation and social cognition. Weak transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) induces persisting excitability changes in the human motor cortex. this effect depends on the stimulation polarity and is specific to the site of stimulation. Interacting with cortical activity, by means of cortical stimulation, can positively affect the short-term cognitive performance and improve the rehabilitation potential of neurologic patients. In this respect, preliminary evidence suggests that cortical stimulation may play a role in treating aphasia, unilateral neglect, and other cognitive disorders. Several possible mechanisms can account for the effects of tDCS and other methods on cognitive performance. They all reflect the potential of these methods to improve the subject's ability to relearn or to acquire new strategies for carrying out behavioral tasks. It was also found that Activation of prefrontal cortex by tDCS reduces appetite for risk during ambiguous decision making. In this tDCS study the investigator uses one anode and one cathode electrode placed over the scalp to modulate a particular area of the central nervous system (CNS). The stimulation is administered via the neuroConn DC.Stimulator Serial number 0096. The DC-STIMULATOR is a micro-processor-controlled constant current source. The DC-STIMULATOR is a CE-certified medical device for conducting non-invasive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on people.Electrode positioning is determined according to the International EEG 10-20 System.
Investigators aim to assess sensitivity and specificity of transcranial doppler in ruling out intracranial hypertension in all patients admitted to intensive care unit for brain injury and needing Intracranial Pressure (ICP) monitoring (according to international guidelines). Non invasive ICP measurement through the use of transcranial doppler will be carried out before and after standard invasive ICP monitoring placement.
Amantadine hydrochloride is one of the drugs given at rehabilitation programs to people who suffered Acquired Brain Injury in order to expedite recovery and improve functioning. A previous study examined the spatially asymmetric allocation of attention in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Patients demonstrated significantly worse performance with leftward than with rightward cross-hemi field shifts of attention. This is reminiscence of neglect patients. This difference was significantly reduced during and following treatment. Our objective is to investigate whether Amantadine Hydrochloride is effective in improving allocation of spatial attention and improving function in people with Traumatic Brain Injury.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the most common cause of death and long-term disability in children. Much of the long-term disability stems from neurocognitive impairments that are not greatly helped by current cognitive training and pharmacological treatments for TBI related cognitive impairments. This study tests the hypothesis that a drug, D-cycloserine (DCS), will significantly enhance the effect of cognitive training in correcting cognitive impairments in children with moderate/severe TBIs. In order to do so, study subjects who fit inclusion criteria, including those with moderate to severe TBI who show persistent working memory weaknesses based on a screening, will be recruited. They will have three visits to UCLA. During the first visit, subjects will undergo an MRI protocol before and after taking a pill (drug or placebo, blinded). They will also participate in a number of paper and pencil cognitive tests. Then subjects will be enrolled in a 6 week computerized cognitive training program (CogMed). They will also be prescribed a drug/placebo pill (depending on which group they are randomized into), which they'll have to take at regular intervals during the 6 weeks. They will have weekly check in phone calls or visits by a coach trained in the program to make sure they are following the study protocol accurately, to have their questions answered, and for motivation. At the end of the training period, subjects will return to UCLA to again complete the MRI protocol and cognitive testing. After three months of enrollment, they will have a final visit to UCLA, including only cognitive testing. A total of 30 subjects will be entered into the study.
Blast-related and blunt traumatic brain injury is a key priority area of Rehabilitation Research & Development (RR&D) and represents a critically important public health problem facing the Veteran population. Developing efficacious treatments for persistent memory deficits seen in this population is a key step in reducing the impact that such problems have in the everyday lives of Veterans. Memory problems after TBI in Veterans are quite heterogeneous, and efficacy will likely be maximized by developing and disseminating multiple alternative treatments individually matched to the Veteran's key deficits, and by research that seeks to understand the cognitive and neural basis of treatment-related change over time. The results of this approach may aid clinical decision making and assignment of patients to rehabilitative treatments most likely to improve memory capacity and functional outcome.
This study will examine a cognitive rehabilitation protocol targeted at working memory deficits for adults and children with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). In this randomized clinical trial, the efficacy of Cogmed, a cognitive rehabilitation protocol designed to improve working memory, will be examined in children with TBI. Neuropsychological and daily life functioning will be measured. Participants will be children (N=20) and adults (N=20) with a documented history of TBI. Participants will be randomized to a treatment group or a wait list control group. The Experimental Group will receive the Cogmed working memory training program 30-40 minutes per day, 5 days a week for 5 weeks for a total training time of approximately 15 hours. The Control Group will be a wait list control group that will cross over into treatment after the follow-up assessment. All subjects will undergo repeat assessments following completion of the working memory training protocol after the 7th week and again at 13 weeks to document changes in working memory performance.