Characterizing Possible Acute Brain Injury in Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence: A Retrospective Chart Review.

Survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) often experience violent blows to the head, face, and neck and/or strangulation that result in brain injury (BI). Researchers reviewed the de-identified forensic nursing examination records of 205 women. More than 88% of women were subjected to multiple mechanisms of injury with in excess of 60% experiencing strangulation. About 31% disclosed various symptoms consistent with BI. Women experiencing strangulation were 2.24 times more likely to report BI-related symptoms compared to those who reported no strangulation. In conclusion, women experiencing IPV are prone to BI suggesting early screening and appropriate management are warranted.

Does inability to allocate attention contribute to balance constraints during gait in older adults?

BACKGROUND: Recent research has explored dual-task deficits during locomotion in older adults, yet the mechanisms underlying these deficits are poorly understood. In the current study, we examined one possible factor contributing to these deficits, the inability to flexibly allocate attention between two tasks. METHODS: Twelve healthy young adults and 12 healthy elderly adults performed obstacle avoidance while walking and an auditory Stroop task either alone or simultaneously. RESULTS: Using an attentional allocation index (AAI) to compare performance of healthy young and older adults and to measure the flexibility of allocation of attention, results showed a tendency in older adults toward a decreased ability to flexibly allocate their attention between the two tasks, with small AAI values. The decreased ability to allocate attention in older adults was found to be more prominent in the auditory Stroop task performance than in the obstacle avoidance task. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that an important factor contributing to decreased dual-task performance in older adults when simultaneously performing a postural and secondary cognitive task is a reduced ability to flexibly allocate attention between the two tasks, with the general ability to switch attention flexibly being predictive of the ability to adhere to a prioritized focus.

The effect of divided attention on gait stability following concussion.

BACKGROUND: The need to identify functional impairment following a brain injury is critical to prevent re-injury during the period of recovery. While many neuropsychological tests have been developed to assess cognitive performance, relatively little information on gait and dynamic stability is available on motor task performance for young adults following concussion. This study was performed to investigate the effect of divided attention following concussion on various gait variables. It was hypothesized that, when compared to uninjured controls, concussed subjects would demonstrate deficits in maintenance of dynamic stability. METHODS: Ten subjects with Grade 2 concussion completed testing within 48 h of injury as well as 10 age-, height-, weight-, and activity-matched controls. The gait protocol consisted of level walking under two conditions: (1) undivided attention (single-task) and (2) while simultaneously completing simple mental tasks (dual-task). Whole-body motion data were collected using a six-camera motion analysis system. A 13-segment biomechanical model was used to compute whole body center of mass motion and velocity. FINDINGS: Walking with a concurrent cognitive task resulted in significant changes in gait and center of mass measurements for both groups. Concussed subjects were found to be able to conservatively adjust their whole body center of mass motion to maintain dynamic stability while walking without divided attention. However, while walking with divided attention, subjects with concussion demonstrated a significantly greater medio-lateral center of mass sway. INTERPRETATION: These data suggest that the ability to control and maintain stability in the frontal plane during walking is diminished under divided attention in individuals following a concussion.