Study protocol: exercise training for treating major depressive disorder in multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is prevalent, yet sub-optimally treated among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). We propose that exercise training may be a promising approach for treating depression in persons with MS who have MDD. Our primary hypothesis predicts a reduction in depression severity immediately after an exercise training intervention compared with minimal change in an attention control condition, and the reduction will be maintained during a follow-up period. METHODS: This study involves a parallel-group, assessor-blinded RCT that examines the effect of a 4-month home-based exercise training intervention on depression severity in a sample of persons with MS who have MDD based on the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The primary outcomes of depression severity are the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Participants (N = 146) will be recruited from within 200 miles of the University of Illinois at Chicago and randomized (1:1) into either a home-based exercise training condition or control condition with concealed allocation. The exercise training and social-contact, attention control (i.e., stretching) conditions will be delivered remotely over a 4-month period and supported through eight, 1:1 Zoom-based behavioral coaching sessions guided by social-cognitive theory and conducted by persons who are uninvolved in screening, recruitment, random assignment, and outcome assessment. We will collect outcome data at 0, 4 and 8 months using treatment-blinded assessors, and data analyses will involve intent-to-treat principles. DISCUSSION: If successful, the proposed study will provide the first Class I evidence supporting a home-based exercise training program for treating MDD in persons with MS. This is critical as exercise training would likely have positive secondary effects on symptoms, cognition, and quality of life, and provide a powerful, behavioral approach for managing the many negative outcomes of MDD in MS. The program in the proposed research is accessible and scalable for broad treatment of depression in MS, and provides the potential for integration in the clinical management of MS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered on September 10, 2021 at clinicaltrials.gov with the identifier NCT05051618. The registration occurred before we initiated recruitment on June 2, 2023.

Disparities Based on Demographic Features in the Intensity and Treatment of Chronic Pain in US Patients With Spinal Cord Injury.

OBJECTIVE: Informed by Minority Stress Theory, to investigate disparities in pain intensity, interference, and care in patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI) based on demographic features. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Outpatient SCI clinics in 2 academic medical centers in the northwestern United States. PARTICIPANTS: Sample of 242 SCI clinic patients who endorsed SCI-related pain, were ≥18-years-of-age, English-fluent, not diagnosed with bipolar or psychotic disorders, and able to make their own medical decisions. Participants were 74.8% men, an average of 48.5 years (range 18.1-89.8 years), 76.2% White, 31.9% privately insured, and 64.7% making <$50,000 per year. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Exploratory analyses of screening data from a randomized controlled trial for pain treatment. Primary outcomes included pain intensity, pain interference, and the patient report of recommended pain treatments by a medical provider, tried by the patient, or that the patient would be willing to try. RESULTS: More treatments recommended was associated with younger age (ρ=-0.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.01 to -0.27, P=.03) and private insurance (ρ=-0.15, 95% CI: 0.02-0.27, P=.03), whereas more treatments tried was associated with private insurance alone (ρ=0.20, 95% CI: 0.07-0.32, P=.003). Number of treatments willing to be tried was associated with lower income (ρ=-0.15, 95% CI: -0.02 to -0.28, P=.03). SCI patients of color (PoC) reported higher pain intensity (Cohen's d=0.41, 95% CI: 0.11-0.71) and greater odds of receiving psychotherapy for pain (odds ratio: 7.12, 95% CI: 1.25-40.46) than their White peers. CONCLUSIONS: These exploratory findings indicate differences in SCI-related pain intensity based on identifying as PoC, and differences in SCI-related pain treatment modalities based on identifying as PoC, age, insurance type, and income. Further work exploring differences in SCI-related pain care based on patient social identities is warranted.

Variables Associated With Moderate to High Loneliness Among Individuals Living With Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To identify variables independently associated with moderate to high loneliness in individuals living with Spinal Cord Injuries or Disorders (SCI/D). DESIGN: A cross-sectional, national survey of a random sample of community-dwelling Veterans with SCI/D in the United States. Survey methodology was used to collect data on demographic and injury characteristics, general health, chronic and SCI-secondary conditions, and loneliness. SETTING: The VHA SCI/D System of Care including 25 regional SCI/D Centers (or Hubs). PARTICIPANTS: Among 2466 Veterans with SCI/D, 592 completed surveys (24%). Most participants were men (91%), white (81%), not currently married (42%), had tetraplegia (33%), and on average injured for 18 years at the time of data collection (N=562). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The dependent variable, loneliness, was collected using the UCLA-3 instrument. Loneliness was dichotomized into never/low loneliness and moderate/high loneliness (UCLA score ≥ 4). RESULTS: Bivariate analyses assessed unadjusted associations in demographics, injury characteristics, chronic disease, and SCI-secondary conditions. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with moderate/high loneliness. Participants had a mean loneliness score of 5.04, SD=1.99. The point prevalence of moderate to high loneliness was 66%. Lower duration of injury, paraplegia, being unmarried, being in fair/poor general health, having dysfunctional sleep, and having a diagnosis of bowel dysfunction were each independently associated with greater odds of moderate/high loneliness. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that interventions to reduce/manage loneliness in the Veteran SCI/D population should focus on those who are more newly injured, have paraplegia, currently unmarried, have bowel problems, and experience dysfunctional sleep.

Predictors of Physical Activity One Year After Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at 12-months post-moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Setting: Four inpatient rehabilitation centers. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals enrolled in the TBI Model Systems with moderate to severe TBI, admitted to inpatient rehabilitation, and able to ambulate without physical assistance from another person. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal cohort study. MVPA was measured by having participants wear an ActiGraph GT3X on their wrist for 7 consecutive days. MAIN ANALYSES: We used multivariate regression to predict minutes per week of MVPA at 12 months after TBI. Three classes of predictors were entered hierarchically-demographic and clinical variables (age, sex, body mass index, education, TBI severity, neighborhood walkability score, and self-reported preinjury physical activity [PA] level), baseline TBI-related comorbid conditions (eg, measures of sleep, pain, mood, fatigue, and cognition), and intention to exercise and exercise self-efficacy assessed approximately 1 week after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. RESULTS: 180 participants (ages 17.7-90.3 years) were enrolled, and 102 provided at least 5 days of valid accelerometer data at 12 months. At 12 months, participants recorded an average of 703 (587) minutes per week of MVPA. In univariate and multivariate analyses, age was the only significant predictor of 12-month MVPA (r = -0.52). A sharp decline in MVPA was observed in the tertile of participants who were over the age of 61. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with TBI are at elevated risk of being physically inactive. Assuming PA may enhance health after TBI, older adults are a logical target for prevention or early intervention studies. Studies with longer outcomes are needed to understand the trajectory of PA levels after TBI.

Utility of in-session assessments during cognitive behavioral therapy for depression after traumatic brain injury: Results from a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The development of depression after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be used to treat post-TBI depression, but the symptoms response is poorly described. OBJECTIVE: This secondary analysis assessed: (1) the trajectory of depression symptoms up to 12 sessions of CBT, (2) which depressive symptom clusters were responsive to in-person and phone CBT, and (3) whether interim depression thresholds predict 16-week treatment response. METHOD: This secondary analysis of the IRB-approved Life Improvement Following Traumatic Brain Injury trial included 100 adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) within ten years of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury from throughout the US. We used a combination of descriptive, graphical, and diagnostic accuracy methods. RESULTS: Cardinal and cognitive-affective symptom clusters improved most from CBT over 16 weeks. At 8 and 16 weeks, the most responsive individual symptoms were anhedonia, depressed mood, and fatigue; the least responsive were sleep and appetite. PHQ-9 thresholds with a Negative Predictive Value greater than 0.7 for sessions 6, 7, and 8 were, respectively: >15, >10, and >9. CONCLUSION: In-person and phone CBT led to similar symptom responses during treatment. Additionally, using PHQ-9 thresholds for predicting intervention response within eight sessions may help identify the need for treatment adjustments.

Factors associated with perceived social isolation among veterans with spinal cord injury and disorders: Cross sectional survey.

CONTEXT/OBJECTIVE: Examine demographics, injury characteristics, objective measures of social isolation and health factors that are associated with perceived social isolation (PSI) among Veterans with spinal cord injury and disorders (SCI/D). DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: The Veterans Health Administrations (VHA) SCI/D system of care. PARTICIPANTS: Veterans with SCI/D who have used the VHA health care system. INTERVENTION: Not applicable. OUTCOMES MEASURES: We assessed unadjusted associations of high PSI (above population mean) vs low (normative/below population mean), and multivariable logistic regression for independent associations with PSI. RESULTS: Out of 1942 Veterans with SCI/D, 421 completed the survey (22% response rate). Over half (56%) had PSI mean scores higher than the general population. Among the objective measures, having a smaller social network size was associated with increased odds of high PSI (OR 3.59, P < .0001); additionally, for health factors, having depression (OR 3.98, P < 0.0001), anxiety (OR 2.29, P = 0.009), and post-traumatic stress (OR 2.56, P = 0.003) in the previous 6 months, and having 4 or more chronically occurring secondary conditions (OR 1.78, P = 0.045) was associated with increased odds of high PSI. The most commonly identified contributors to feelings of PSI included mobility concerns (63%), having a SCI/D (61%), and concerns about being a burden on others (57%). CONCLUSIONS: Factors such as social network size may be used to identify individuals with SCI/D at risk for PSI. Additionally, by identifying mental health problems, presence of multiple chronically occurring secondary conditions, and Veteran-identified contributors of PSI, we can target these factors in a patient-centered interventions to identify and reduce PSI.

Facilitators to alleviate loneliness and social isolation as identified by individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders: A qualitative study.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: Individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) are at increased risk for experiencing loneliness and social isolation. The aim is to describe facilitators identified by individuals living with SCI/D to alleviate loneliness and perceived social isolation. RESEARCH METHOD/DESIGN: Descriptive qualitative design using in-depth interviews with veterans with SCI/D (n = 23). Descriptive statistics was used to calculate demographic and injury characteristics. Audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim transcripts were coded and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) six thematic analysis phases. RESULTS: Participants were male (70%), white (78%), and not currently married (35%), with an average age of 66 years (42-88). Participants had paraplegia (61%), with traumatic etiology (65%) and were injured 14 years (1-45) on average. Eight themes were identified by participants living with SCI/D that described facilitators to alleviate loneliness and perceived social isolation. (a) Engage in/pursue interests; (b) Interact with/spend time with others; (c) Embrace acceptance; (d) Take part in reciprocity; (e) Find a purpose/accomplish goals; (f) Get out of residence, get outside; (g) Connect with SCI/D community/SCI/D peers; and (h) Seek help from (mental) healthcare professionals. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Individuals with SCI/D identified facilitators to alleviate loneliness that encompasses changes in ways of thinking, actions to expand participation in life, and efforts focused on involving others. Findings can be used to guide healthcare delivery and develop interventions to target feelings of loneliness and social isolation in persons with SCI/D, which may be particularly impactful if they involve reciprocal interactions with peers with SCI/D. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).