Association Between Traumatic Brain Injury and Increased Risk of Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether exposure to traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with increased risk of stroke in adults compared with referents not exposed to TBI, and to understand whether an association exists throughout the spectrum of injury severity, whether it differs between the acute and chronic phases after TBI, and whether the association is greater with hemorrhagic compared with ischemic stroke after TBI. SETTING: A database search was conducted on January 22, 2021. Searches were run in MEDLINE (1946 to present), Embase (1988 to present), Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews (various dates), Scopus (1970 to present), and Web of Science (1975 to present). DESIGN: Observational studies that quantified the association of stroke after TBI compared with referents without TBI were included. Three coauthors independently reviewed titles and abstracts to determine study eligibility. Study characteristics were extracted independently by 2 coauthors who followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, and study quality was assessed independently by 2 coauthors who used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed. MAIN MEASURES: The primary exposure was TBI of any severity, and the primary outcome was stroke of any kind. Subgroup analysis was performed to assess heterogeneity associated with severity of TBI, type of stroke, and time from TBI to stroke. RESULTS: A total of 64 full-text articles were reviewed, and data were extracted from 8 cohort studies (N = 619 992 individuals exposed to TBI along with nonexposed referents). A significant overall association was found with TBI and stroke (hazard ratio, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.28-3.32). Significant subgroup differences were found with a smaller risk of ischemic stroke compared with stroke of all types (P < .001, I² = 93.9%). CONCLUSIONS: TBI, regardless of injury severity, was associated with a higher risk of stroke. To improve secondary stroke prevention strategies, future studies should classify TBI severity and type of stroke more precisely and determine long-term risk.

Feasibility and acceptability of the Resilient Living program among persons with stroke or brain tumor and their family caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Practice guidelines and research results emphasize the need for dyadic interventions targeting psychosocial outcomes such as depression, anxiety, social function, physical function, and health-related quality of life. Resilience interventions have been proposed as one strategy to influence these outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this observational pilot study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the Resilient Living program among persons with stroke or brain tumor (BT) admitted for comprehensive acute inpatient rehabilitation and/or their family caregivers. A secondary aim was to gather preliminary data to assess the effects of the program on quality of life, stress, anxiety, physical function, sleep disturbance, fatigue, resilience, dyadic coping, and caregiver role overload. METHODS: The Resilient Living program is a psychosocial intervention with a focus on building resilience skills. Feasibility and acceptability outcomes were assessed at the end of the study. Quantitative outcome measures were collected at baseline, 12 weeks, and 6 months post the intervention. RESULTS: Eight patients and eight caregivers completed the study. The intervention was feasible with this population. Participants found the intervention useful and appreciated the flexibility of an online program; however, finding time to engage in it was challenging. Recruitment of eligible patients with acquired brain disorders and their caregivers as a dyad was challenging. CONCLUSION: The study confirms prior research suggesting that interventions targeting resilience are feasible, but larger studies with more rigorous methods are needed to appreciate the influence of resilience interventions in persons with brain disorders and their caregivers. Further research is needed to identify the characteristics of those most likely to benefit from resilience interventions and the optimal timing of such interventions.

Efficacy of resilience interventions for dyads of individuals with brain injury and their caregivers: A systematic review of prospective studies.

BACKGROUND: Acquired brain injury (BI) is associated with negative mental health outcomes for both people with BI, their caregivers (CG), and patient-CG dyads, which may be mitigated through increased resilience. However, little is known regarding the efficacy of resilience interventions focused on CGs of individuals with BI, as well as dyads, which may be instrumental for positive outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the evidence of the efficacy of resilience interventions focused on CGs and/or dyads of individuals with BI. METHODS: A search of MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL with Full Text, Scopus, SCIE, and ESCI was conducted. Each title and abstract were screened by two authors independently. Each full text review, study data extraction, and study quality assessment was performed independently by two authors. Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool. RESULTS: Out of 11,959 articles retrieved, 347 full text articles were assessed for review and 18 met inclusion criteria for data extraction and quality assessment. Resilience interventions were stratified into 5 different categories based on the type of intervention. CONCLUSION: This systematic review suggests that dyadic/CG resilience interventions may improve mental health related outcomes, but conclusions were limited secondary to heterogenous outcomes and lack of a standardized resiliency construct. Future efforts are compulsory to create a standardized resiliency construct and associated outcomes focused on persons with BI, their CGs, and dyads.