Cognitive and psychological recovery patterns across different care pathways 12 months after hospitalization for COVID-19: A multicenter cohort study (CO-FLOW).

BACKGROUND: The comparison of recovery patterns for different care pathways following COVID-19 is necessary for optimizing rehabilitation strategies. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate cognitive and psychological outcomes across different care pathways up to 12 months after hospitalization for COVID-19. METHODS: CO-FLOW is an ongoing multicenter prospective cohort study with assessments at 3, 6, and 12 months after hospitalization for COVID-19. The main outcomes are cognitive deficits (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, score <26), cognitive failure (Cognitive Failure Questionnaire, score >43), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Impact of Event Scale-Revised, score ≥33), and anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, subscale score ≥11). RESULTS: In total, data from 617 participants were analyzed. Mean age was 59.7 (SD 11.4) years and 188 (31%) were female. Significant recovery occurred within the first 6 months post-discharge (p ≤ 0.001). Cognitive deficits persisted in 21% (101/474), and psychological problems in 15% (74/482) of people at 12 months. Significantly improved cognition scores were reported for people who did not receive rehabilitation ('No-rehab'; 124/617, 20%; mean difference, MD 2.32, 95% CI 1.47 to 3.17; p<0.001), those who received community-based rehabilitation ('Com-rehab'; 327/617, 53%; MD 1.27, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.78; p<0.001), and those who received medical rehabilitation ('Med-rehab'; 86/617, 14%; MD 1.63, 95% CI 0.17 to 3.10; p = 0.029). Med-rehab participants experienced more cognitive failure from 3 to 6 months (MD 4.24, 95% 1.63 to 6.84; p = 0.001). Com-rehab showed recovery for PTSD (MD -2.43, 95% -3.50 to -1.37; p<0.001), anxiety (MD -0.67, 95% -1.02 to -0.32; p<0.001), and depression (MD -0.60, 95% -0.96 to -0.25; p<0.001), but symptoms persisted at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Survivors of COVID-19 showed cognitive and psychological recovery, especially within the first 6 months after hospitalization. Most persistent problems were related to cognitive functioning at 12 months. Recovery differed rehabilitation settings. Additional cognitive or psychological support might be warranted in people who medical or community-based rehabilitation.

A secondary analysis of data from the OPTICARE randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of extended cardiac rehabilitation on functional capacity, fatigue, and participation in society.

OBJECTIVE: In this secondary analysis of data from the OPTICARE trial, we compared the effects of two behavioral interventions integrated into cardiac rehabilitation to standard rehabilitation with regard to functional capacity, fatigue, and participation in society. DESIGN: This is a randomized controlled trial. SETTING: This study was conducted in a cardiac rehabilitation setting. SUBJECTS: A total of 740 patients with acute coronary syndrome were recruited for this study. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to (1) three months of standard rehabilitation; (2) cardiac rehabilitation plus nine months after-care with face-to-face group lifestyle counseling; or (3) cardiac rehabilitation plus nine months after-care with individual lifestyle telephone counseling. MAIN MEASURES: Functional capacity (6-minute walk test), fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale), and participation in society (Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation) were measured at randomization, 3, 12, and 18 months. RESULTS: Additional face-to-face sessions resulted at 12 months in 12.49 m more on the 6-minute walk test compared to standard rehabilitation (P = .041). This difference was no longer present at 18 months. Prevalence of fatigue decreased from 30.2% at baseline to 11.9% at 18 months compared to an improvement from 37.3% to 24.9% after standard rehabilitation (between-group difference: odds ratio = 0.47; P = .010). The additional improvements in functional capacity seemed to be mediated by increases in daily physical activity. No mediating effects were found for fatigue. No additional improvements were seen for participation in society. Additional telephonic sessions did not result in additional intervention effects. CONCLUSION: Extending cardiac rehabilitation with a face-to-face behavioral intervention resulted in additional long-term improvements in fatigue and small improvements in functional capacity up to 12 months. A telephonic behavioral intervention provided no additional benefits.

A behavioral intervention promoting physical activity in people with subacute spinal cord injury: secondary effects on health, social participation and quality of life.

OBJECTIVE: To assess, for people with subacute spinal cord injury, if rehabilitation that is reinforced with the addition of a behavioral intervention to promote physical activity leads to a better health, participation and quality of life. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Rehabilitation centers. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 39 participants analyzed (45 included), with subacute spinal cord injury in inpatient rehabilitation, dependent on a manual wheelchair (33% tetraplegia, 62% motor complete, 150 ±74 days postinjury). INTERVENTION: A behavioral intervention promoting physical activity after discharge, involving 13 individual sessions delivered by a coach trained in motivational interviewing, beginning two months before and ending six months after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. MAIN MEASURES: Physical capacity as determined during a maximal exercise test, body mass index, blood pressure, fasting lipid profile, and social participation (IMPACT-S) and quality of life (SF-36) were determined using questionnaires. Measurements were performed two months before discharge, at discharge, and six and 12 months after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. B represents the between-group difference. RESULTS: Twelve months after discharge, significant intervention effects were found for diastolic blood pressure (B = -11.35 mmHg, 95% CI = -19.98 to -2.71), total cholesterol (B = -0.89 mmol/L, 95% CI = -1.59 to -0.20), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (B = -0.63 mmol/L, 95% CI = -1.25 to -0.00) and participation (B = 9.91, 95% CI = 3.34 to 16.48). CONCLUSIONS: A behavioral intervention promoting physical activity after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation improves social participation and seems to reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease in people with subacute spinal cord injury.

A behavioural intervention increases physical activity in people with subacute spinal cord injury: a randomised trial.

QUESTIONS: For people with subacute spinal cord injury, does rehabilitation that is reinforced with the addition of a behavioural intervention to promote physical activity lead to a more active lifestyle than rehabilitation alone? DESIGN: Randomised, controlled trial with concealed allocation, intention-to-treat analysis, and blinded assessors. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-five adults with subacute spinal cord injury who were undergoing inpatient rehabilitation and were dependent on a manual wheelchair. The spinal cord injuries were characterised as: tetraplegia 33%; motor complete 62%; mean time since injury 150 days (SD 74). INTERVENTION: All participants received regular rehabilitation, including handcycle training. Only the experimental group received a behavioural intervention promoting an active lifestyle after discharge. This intervention involved 13 individual sessions delivered by a coach who was trained in motivational interviewing; it began 2 months before and ended 6 months after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was physical activity, which was objectively measured with an accelerometer-based activity monitor 2 months before discharge, at discharge, and 6 and 12 months after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. The accelerometry data were analysed as total wheeled physical activity, sedentary time and motility. Self-reported physical activity was a secondary outcome. RESULTS: The behavioural intervention significantly increased wheeled physical activity (overall between-group difference from generalised estimating equation 21minutes per day, 95% CI 8 to 35). This difference was evident 6 months after discharge (28minutes per day, 95% CI 8 to 48) and maintained at 12 months after discharge (25minutes per day, 95% CI 1 to 50). No significant intervention effect was found for sedentary time or motility. Self-reported physical activity also significantly improved. CONCLUSION: The behavioural intervention was effective in eliciting a behavioural change toward a more active lifestyle among people with subacute spinal cord injury. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NTR2424.

Validation of an activity monitor for children who are partly or completely wheelchair-dependent.

BACKGROUND: Children who are wheelchair-dependent are at risk for developing unfavorable physical behavior; therefore, assessment, monitoring and efforts to improve physical behavior should start early in life. VitaMove is an accelerometer-based activity monitor and can be used to detect and distinguish different categories of physical behavior, including activities performed in a wheelchair and activities using the legs. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of the VitaMove activity monitor to quantify physical behavior in children who are partly or completely wheelchair-dependent. METHODS: Twelve children with spina bifida (SB) or cerebral palsy (CP) (mean age, 14 ± 4 years) performed a series of wheelchair activities (wheelchair protocol) and, if possible, activities using their legs (n = 5, leg protocol). Activities were performed at their own home or school. In children who were completely wheelchair-dependent, VitaMove monitoring consisted of one accelerometer-based recorder attached to the sternum and one to each wrist. For children who were partly ambulatory, an additional recorder was attached to each thigh. Using video-recordings as a reference, primary the total duration of active behavior, including wheeled activity and leg activity, and secondary agreement, sensitivity and specificity scores were determined. RESULTS: Detection of active behaviour with the VitaMove activity monitor showed absolute percentage errors of 6% for the wheelchair protocol and 10% for the leg protocol. For the wheelchair protocol, the mean agreement was 84%, sensitivity was 80% and specificity was 85%. For the leg protocol, the mean agreement was 83%, sensitivity was 78% and specificity was 90%. Validity scores were lower in severely affected children with CP. CONCLUSIONS: The VitaMove activity monitor is a valid device to quantify physical behavior in children who are partly or completely wheelchair-dependent, except for severely affected children and for bicycling.