RESUMEN
Background: Frontal brain dysfunction is a major challenge in neurorehabilitation. Neurofeedback (NF), as an EEG-based brain training method, is currently applied in a wide spectrum of mental health conditions, including traumatic brain injury. Objective: This study aimed to explore the capacity of Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback (ILF-NF) to promote the recovery of brain function in patients with frontal brain injury. Materials and methods: Twenty patients hospitalized at a neurorehabilitation clinic in Switzerland with recently acquired, frontal and optionally other brain lesions were randomized to either receive NF or sham-NF. Cognitive improvement was assessed using the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and the Test of Attentional Performance (TAP) tasks regarding intrinsic alertness, phasic alertness and impulse control. Results: With respect to cognitive improvements, there was no significant difference between the two groups after 20 sessions of either NF or sham-NF. However, in a subgroup of patients with predominantly frontal brain lesions, the improvements measured by the FAB and intrinsic alertness were significantly higher in the NF-group. Conclusion: This is the first double-blind controlled study using NF in recovery from brain injury, and thus also the first such study of ILF NF. Although the result of the subgroup has limited significance because of the small number of participants, it accentuates the trend seen in the whole group regarding the FAB and intrinsic alertness (p = 0.068, p = 0.079, respectively). We therefore conclude that NF could be a promising candidate promoting the recoveryfrom frontal brain lesions. Further studies with larger numbers of patients and less lesion heterogeneity are needed to verify the usefulness of NF in the neurorehabilitation of patients with frontal brain injury (NCT02957695 ClinicalTrials.gov).
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a common and severe health condition in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Skin-care strategies for PU prevention are usually provided during initial rehabilitation. However, individuals with SCI often do not perform these strategies continuously, especially after discharge. The influence of psychological factors such as general self-efficacy (GSE) on the performance of PU prevention behavior has not yet been sufficiently explored. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether persons with greater levels of GSE are more likely to perform skin-care strategies for PU prevention regularly. DESIGN: Nationwide cross-sectional survey within the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study. SETTING: Community setting, data collection between 2011 and 2013. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 456 subjects with a traumatic or nontraumatic SCI living in Switzerland. METHODS: Associations between GSE and PU prevention behavior were analyzed by multivariate proportional odds regression models, including potential sociodemographic, lesion-related, and lifestyle-related confounders without and with interaction terms between GSE and potential effect modifiers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Self-efficacy was assessed by the GSE scale comprising 10 items. PU preventive behavior was operationalized using 5 items of an adapted version of the Spinal Cord Injury Lifestyle scale. Both measurements were components of a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Based on the regression model without interaction terms, GSE levels were not associated with skin-care PU prevention. After we included interaction terms, the final model showed statistically significant associations between GSE and 3 skin-care items with odds ratios ranging from 1.09 to 1.17 (all P < .001). The slightly positive effect of GSE on PU prevention behavior was restricted to persons who sustained their SCI at a younger age. CONCLUSIONS: GSE was generally not associated with skin-care PU prevention behavior among persons with SCI in this study. In further research, it might be of interest to assess SCI-specific concepts of self-efficacy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.