Pros and Cons of 19 Sport-Related Concussion Educational Resources in Canada: Avenues for Better Care and Prevention

Objective: The goal of this research was to assess the effectiveness of available concussion educational resources in Canada, the means used to disseminate this knowledge and the impact of these educational resources on players' concussion prevention knowledge.Methods: We assessed concussion knowledge before and after exposure to one or more of 19 resources introduced through a national program aimed to increase awareness and knowledge of concussion. The effectiveness of the mode of delivery was measured by changes in concussion knowledge scores (CKS) between pre and pro scores.Measures: Concussion knowledge scores (CKS) were calculated for pre- and post- exposure to concussion educational resources and used as a measure of both, the effectiveness of each resource as well as the effectiveness of the delivery method. The effectiveness of each educational resource was also measured by the respondents' rating of each concussion educational resource.Results: Respondents in post-survey had higher CKS than those in pre-survey. Two out of the 19 newly developed concussion educational resources were effective in improving the resource users' CKS. Linear regression showed that using more resources further increased CKS. Four out of six modes of delivery enhanced respondents' concussion knowledge.Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that the newly developed Canadian concussion educational resources were effective at improving users' concussion knowledge. Our data demonstrates that using three or more resources further enhanced the users' concussion knowledge. Future research, however, is critical to assess whether concussion prevention knowledge is sufficient to reduce injuries and factors influencing it

Technology-adaptable interventions for treating depression in adults with cognitive impairments: protocol for a systematic review

Abstract Background Depression is a common comorbidity in individuals with cognitive impairment. Those with cognitive impairments face unique challenges in receiving the benefits of many conventional therapies for depression, and may have poorer outcomes in areas such as recovery and quality of life. However, the stigmatization of mental health disorders, cost barriers and physical disabilities may prevent these individuals from seeking mental health care. An online, self-help intervention specifically developed for adults with cognitive deficits and depression may be particularly beneficial to this population. We aim to inform the design of such an intervention through a systematic review by answering the following research question: among adults with cognitive impairment (including those with acquired brain injuries or neurodegenerative diseases), which technology-amenable interventions have been shown to effectively decrease symptoms of depression? Specifically, psychotherapeutic and/or behavioural interventions that could be delivered in a self-guided, online system will be included. Methods Comprehensive electronic searches will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL. Additional studies will be obtained through manually searching the references of relevant systematic reviews, contacting primary authors of select articles and tracking conference proceedings and trial registries. Article titles and abstracts will be screened using predefined eligibility criteria, and then judged for their amenability to the proposed self-help, technology-based intervention. The full text of those articles with selected interventions will then be screened to determine final eligibility for inclusion. Included articles will be categorized by intervention type and assessed for risk of bias using the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care Risk of Bias tool for non-randomized trials, controlled before-after studies and interrupted time series. The primary outcome will be a change in score on a validated depression scale, and adverse events will be documented as a secondary outcome. After data extraction from selected articles, pooling of data and meta-analysis will be conducted if a sufficient pool of studies with comparable methodology and quality are identified. Alternatively, plain language summaries will be developed. The quality of evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD4201401441

Technology-adaptable interventions for treating depression in adults with cognitive impairments: protocol for a systematic review

Background: Depression is a common comorbidity in individuals with cognitive impairment. Those with cognitive impairments face unique challenges in receiving the benefits of many conventional therapies for depression, and may have poorer outcomes in areas such as recovery and quality of life. However, the stigmatization of mental health disorders, cost barriers and physical disabilities may prevent these individuals from seeking mental health care. An online, self-help intervention specifically developed for adults with cognitive deficits and depression may be particularly beneficial to this population. We aim to inform the design of such an intervention through a systematic review by answering the following research question: among adults with cognitive impairment (including those with acquired brain injuries or neurodegenerative diseases), which technology-amenable interventions have been shown to effectively decrease symptoms of depression? Specifically, psychotherapeutic and/or behavioural interventions that could be delivered in a self-guided, online system will be included. Methods: Comprehensive electronic searches will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL. Additional studies will be obtained through manually searching the references of relevant systematic reviews, contacting primary authors of select articles and tracking conference proceedings and trial registries. Article titles and abstracts will be screened using predefined eligibility criteria, and then judged for their amenability to the proposed self-help, technology-based intervention. The full text of those articles with selected interventions will then be screened to determine final eligibility for inclusion. Included articles will be categorized by intervention type and assessed for risk of bias using the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care Risk of Bias tool for non-randomized trials, controlled before-after studies and interrupted time series. The primary outcome will be a change in score on a validated depression scale, and adverse events will be documented as a secondary outcome. After data extraction from selected articles, pooling of data and meta-analysis will be conducted if a sufficient pool of studies with comparable methodology and quality are identified. Alternatively, plain language summaries will be developed. The quality of evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system

Neurofeedback as a form of cognitive rehabilitation therapy following stroke: A systematic review

<div><p>Neurofeedback therapy (NFT) has been used within a number of populations however it has not been applied or thoroughly examined as a form of cognitive rehabilitation within a stroke population. Objectives for this systematic review included: i) identifying how NFT is utilized to treat cognitive deficits following stroke, ii) examining the strength and quality of evidence to support the use of NFT as a form of cognitive rehabilitation therapy (CRT) and iii) providing recommendations for future investigations. Searches were conducted using OVID (Medline, Health Star, Embase + Embase Classic) and PubMed databases. Additional searches were completed using the Cochrane Reviews library database, Google Scholar, the University of Toronto online library catalogue, ClinicalTrials.gov website and select journals. Searches were completed Feb/March 2015 and updated in June/July/Aug 2015. Eight studies were eligible for inclusion in this review. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they: i) were specific to a stroke population, ii) delivered CRT via a NFT protocol, iii) included participants who were affected by a cognitive deficit(s) following stroke (i.e. memory loss, loss of executive function, speech impairment etc.). NFT protocols were highly specific and varied within each study. The majority of studies identified improvements in participant cognitive deficits following the initiation of therapy. Reviewers assessed study quality using the Downs and Black <i>Checklist for Measuring Study Quality</i> tool; limited study quality and strength of evidence restricted generalizability of conclusions regarding the use of this therapy to the greater stroke population. Progression in this field requires further inquiry to strengthen methodology quality and study design. Future investigations should aim to standardize NFT protocols in an effort to understand the dose-response relationship between NFT and improvements in functional outcome. Future investigations should also place a large emphasis on long-term participant follow-up.</p></div

Downs & Black Critical Appraisal Score & Oxford Level of Evidence.

<p>Downs & Black Critical Appraisal Score & Oxford Level of Evidence.</p

Study design & participants.

<p>Study design & participants.</p

Measures used & key findings.

<p>Measures used & key findings.</p

Can Fluctuations in Vital Signs Be Used for Pain Assessment in Critically Ill Patients with a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Background. Many critically ill patients with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are unable to communicate. While observation of behaviors is recommended for pain assessment in nonverbal populations, they are undetectable in TBI patients who are under the effects of neuroblocking agents. Aim. This study aimed to validate the use of vital signs for pain detection in critically ill TBI patients. Methods. Using a repeated measure within subject design, participants (N=45) were observed for 1 minute before (baseline), during, and 15 minutes after two procedures: noninvasive blood pressure: NIBP (nonnociceptive) and turning (nociceptive). At each assessment, vital signs (e.g., systolic, diastolic, mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), capillary saturation (SpO2), end-tidal CO2, and intracranial pressure (ICP)) were recorded. Results. Significant fluctuations (P<0.05) in diastolic (F=6.087), HR (F=3.566), SpO2 (F=5.740), and ICP (F=3.776) were found across assessments, but they were similar during both procedures. In contrast, RR was found to increase exclusively during turning (t=3.933; P<0.001) and was correlated to participants’ self-report. Conclusions. Findings from this study support previous ones that vital signs are not specific for pain detection. While RR could be a potential pain indicator in critical care, further research is warranted to support its validity in TBI patients with different LOC