RESEARCH PAPER
An evaluation of health-related quality of life of patients aroused from prolonged coma when treated by physiotherapists with or without training in the ‘Academy of Life’ programme
 
More details
Hide details
1
College of Physiotherapy, Wroclaw, Poland
 
2
Department of Ergonomics and Exertion Physiology, Institute of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
 
3
Academy of Physical Education and Sport in Gdańsk, Poland
 
4
Chair of Neuropsychology, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Cracow Univeristy, Cracow, Poland
 
 
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2013;20(2):361-365
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
[b][/b]Objective: To evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients aroused from prolonged coma after a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) treated by physiotherapists trained in the ‘Academy of Life’ programme. It was assumed that physiotherapists who acquired this knowledge and experience would create a better therapeutic milieu, and would be more effective than physiotherapists who had not received this training. Material and methods: 40 patients who had suffered a severe TBI in a motor vehicle accident and had been aroused from prolonged coma were examined. All the patients underwent long-term rehabilitation according to a standard, phased programme. They were divided into two numerically even groups: an experimental group, treated by therapists trained in the ‘Academy of Life’ programme, and a control group, treated by physiotherapists who were not trained in this programme. The research instruments included an analysis of documentation, a structured clinical interview, and the Quality of Life Scale. Results: As hypothesized, the experimental group showed significant improvement in HRQOL, whereas in the control group improvement was statistically non-significant. Conclusions: The patients from the experimental group, treated by physiotherapists trained in the ‘Academy of Life’, obtained a significantly greater improvement in physical and social functioning, and thus in HRQOL, than patients from the control group.
 
REFERENCES (25)
1.
Mauritz W, Wilbacher I, Majdan M, Leitgeb J, Janciak I, Brazinova A, Rusnak M. Epidemiology, treatment and outcome of patients after severe traumatic brain injury in European regions with different economic status. Eur J Public Health. 2008; 18(6): 575–80.
 
2.
Rao V, Rosenberg P, Bertrand M, Salehinia S, Spiro J, Vaishnavi S, Rastogi P, Noll K, Schretlen DJ, Brandt J, et al. Aggression after traumatic brain injury: prevalence and correlates. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2009; 21(4): 420–9.
 
3.
Cicerone K, Dahlberg C, Malec JF, Langenbahn D, Felicetti T, Kneipp S, Ellmo W, Kalmar K, Giacino JT, Harley JP, Laatsch L, Morse P, Catanese J. Evidence-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation: Updated Review of the Literature from 1998 through 2002. Arch Physical Med Rehab. 2005; 86: 1681–1692.
 
4.
Masson F, Thicoipe M, Aye P, at al. Epidemiology of severe brain injuries: a prospective population-based study. J Trauma 2001; 51: 481–489.
 
5.
Marvasti JA. Treatment of war trauma in veterans: pharmacotherapy and self-help proposal. Conn Med. 2011; 75(3): 133–41.
 
6.
Pachalska M, Moskała M, MacQueen BD, Polak J, Wilk-Frańczuk M. Early neurorehabilitation in a patient with severe traumatic brain injury to the frontal lobes. Med Sci Monit. 2010; 16(12): 157–67.
 
7.
Pachalska M. Rehabilitacja neuropsychologiczna [Neuropsychological Rehabilitation]. Lublin: Wydawnictwo UMCS; 2008.
 
8.
Thornton KE, Carmody DP. Traumatic brain injury rehabilitation: qEEG biofeedback treatment protocols. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 2009; 34(1): 59–68.
 
9.
Benedictus MR, Spikman JM, van der Naalt J. Cognitive and behavioral impairment in traumatic brain injury related to outcome and return to work. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2010; 91(9): 1436–41.
 
10.
Tomaszewski, W, Mańko G. An evaluation of the strategic approach to the rehabilitation of TBI patients. Med Sci Monit. 2011; 17(4): 35–41.
 
11.
Pachalski A, Frańczuk B, Tomaszewski W. Planning rehabilitation with elements of active movement for brain-damaged patients. Ortop Traumatol Rehab. 2004; 30;6(5): 643–51.
 
12.
Velikonja D, Warriner E, Brum C. Profiles of emotional and behavioral sequelae following acquired brain injury: cluster analysis of the Personality Assessment Inventory. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2010; 32(6): 610–21. Epub 2009 Dec.
 
13.
Strubreither W, Hackbusch B, Hermann-Gruber M, Stahr G, Jonas HP. Neuropsychological aspects of the rehabilitation of patients with paralysis from a spinal injury who also have a brain injury. Spinal Cord. 1997; 35(8): 487–92.
 
14.
Pąchalska M. Neuropsychologia kliniczna: urazy mózgu. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN; 2007.
 
15.
Di Mauro S. A survivor’s perspective. In: Gillen Burkhardt A. editors. Stroke rehabilitation: A functional based approach. St. Louis, Missouri, USA: Mosby; 1998. p. 508–511.
 
16.
Milders M, Ietswaart M, Crawford JR, Currie D. Social behavior following traumatic brain injury and its association with emotion recognition, understanding of intentions, and cognitive flexibility. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2008; Mar; 14(2): 318–26.
 
17.
Choi JH, Jakob M, Stapf C, Marshall RS, Hartmann A, Mast H. Multimodal early rehabilitation and predictors of outcome in survivors of severe traumatic brain injury. J Trauma 2008; 65(5): 1028–35.
 
18.
Meinzer M, Harnish S, Conway T, Crosson B. Recent developments in functional and structural imaging of aphasia recovery after stroke. Aphasiology 2011; 25(3): 271–290.
 
19.
Talar J, Pąchalska M, Łukowicz M, Knapik H, Pufal A. Etapowy program leczenia i rehabilitacji pacjentów z zespołem pourazowego uszkodzenia pnia mózgu. In: Talar J, editor. Urazy pnia mózgu. Kompleksowa diagnostyka i terapia. Bydgoszcz: Katedra i Klinika Rehabilitacji AMB, 2002. p. 207–280.
 
20.
Pąchalska M, MacQueen BD. Skala Oceny Jakości Życia Pacjentów po Urazach Czaszkowo-Mózgowych. Kraków: Fundacja na Rzecz Osób z Dysfunkcjami Mózgu. 1998.
 
21.
Baranowski P. Zastosowanie Międzynarodowych Standardów Neurologicznej i Funkcjonalnej Klasyfikacji Urazów Rdzenia Kręgowego (Skala ASIA). Ortop Traumatol Rehab. 2000; 2(2): 31–34.
 
22.
Schnakers C, Vanhaudenhuyse A, Giacino J, Ventura M, Boly M, Majerus S, Moonen G, Laureys S. Diagnostic accuracy of the vegetative and minimally conscious state: Clinical consensus versus standardized neurobehavioral assessment. BMC Neurology 2009; 9:35.
 
23.
Atrice MB, Gonter M, Griffin D, Morrison SA, McDowell SL. Traumatic spinal cord injury. In: Umphred D, editor. Neurological rehabilitation. St. Louis, Missouri, USA: Mosby, 1995. p.484–534.
 
24.
Worthington, AD. The natural recovery and treatment of executive disorders. In: Halligan PW, Kischka U, Marshall JC, editors. Handbook of clinical neuropsychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2003. p. 322–339.
 
25.
Pąchalska M., Mańko G., Chantsoulis M., Knapik H., Mirski A., Mirska N. The quality of life of persons with TBI in the process of a Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program. Med Science Monit. 2012; 8(13): CR432–442.
 
eISSN:1898-2263
ISSN:1232-1966
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top