Psychiatric Disease and Post-Acute Traumatic Brain Injury.

Psychiatric disorders are common following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and can include depression, anxiety, and psychosis, as well as other maladaptive behaviors and personality changes. The epidemiologic data of psychiatric disorders post-TBI vary widely, although the incidence and prevalence rates typically are higher than in the general population. Although the experience of psychiatric symptoms may be temporary and may resolve in the acute period, many patients with TBI can experience psychopathology that is persistent or that develops in the post-acute period.

Recovery of functional status after stroke in a tri-ethnic population.

Objective: To examine recovery of functional status for white, black, and Hispanic patients who have had a stroke from the time of admission to inpatient medical rehabilitation to 12 months after discharge.

Design: A longitudinal study that used information from the Stroke Recovery in Underserved Population database, a prospective observational study of persons with stroke who received inpatient medical rehabilitation services during 2005-2006.

Setting: Eleven inpatient rehabilitation facilities located across diverse regions of the United States, including California, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York (2), Texas (2), and Washington, DC.

The role of positive affect on social participation following stroke.

Purpose: To examine the association between positive affect and social participation in adults with first-time stroke after in-patient medical rehabilitation.

Methods: A prospective cohort design using information from the Stroke Recovery in Underserved Populations database (SRUP) for the years 2005-2006. Data were collected at discharge from in-patient medical rehabilitation and 3 months post-discharge.

Emergency preparedness as a continuous improvement cycle: perspectives from a postacute rehabilitation facility.

Objectives: To describe the iterative process of emergency planning and preparedness: risk assessment, planning, rehearsal, implementation, and refinement.

Design: A narrative reflection of two complete facility evacuations in advance of major hurricanes in 2005 (hurricane Rita) and 2008 (hurricane Ike) conducted by a postacute rehabilitation facility located on the Texas gulf coast.

Participants: Facility staff involved in the evacuation and ongoing care post evacuation, and adults with moderate to severe acquired brain injury receiving residential postacute rehabilitation and long-term care services.

Change in positive emotion and recovery of functional status following stroke.

Objectives: To investigate change in positive emotion over a 3-month follow-up period and determine whether this change is associated with recovery of functional status in persons with stroke.

Design: A longitudinal study using information from the Stroke Recovery in Underserved Patients (SRUP) database. Positive emotion and functional status were assessed within 72 hours of discharge from an in-patient medical rehabilitation facility and at 3-month follow-up using established measurement instruments.

Ecological validity of the neuropsychological assessment battery screening module in post-acute brain injury rehabilitation.

Primary Objective: To assess the ecological validity of the Screening Module of the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB-SM) using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM).

Method: Seventy individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury at a residential post-acute rehabilitation facility were administered the FIM instrument and the NAB-SM upon admission. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the variables from these two assessment measures.

A virtual reality environment for evaluation of a daily living skill in brain injury rehabilitation: reliability and validity.

Objective: To establish the stability and validity of information collected in a virtual reality environment from persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Design: Prospective correlation design to examine 3-week test-retest results for equivalence reliability between computer-simulated and natural environments.

Setting: A residential rehabilitation center for brain injury.

Use of community integration questionnaire (CIQ) to characterize changes in functioning for individuals with traumatic brain injury who participated in a post-acute rehabilitation programme.

Objective: Evaluate changes in community integration for survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI) who participated in a post-acute rehabilitation programme.

Design: Cohort, prospective study investigating change from admission to post-discharge.

Participants: Individuals, the majority of whom were diagnosed with severe TBI, were placed into one of two groups as follows: (1).