Neuropsychological recovery during the first 12 months after severe traumatic brain injury: A longitudinal study with monthly assessments.

Neuropsychologists are commonly asked practical questions about cognitive recovery in the first year following moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), however guiding evidence to provide answers is limited. The design of this longitudinal study rectifies methodological problems in the literature by taking serial assessments on a monthly basis from 3- to 12-months post-trauma in a severe TBI sample ( = 23), and using four alternate forms of a brief yet sensitive cognitive assessment battery. Fifteen variables sampling seven cognitive domains were used: orientation, attention, processing speed, executive function, memory, language and visuospatial function.

Personalised treatments for acute whiplash injuries: A pilot study of nested N-of-1 trials in a multiple baseline single-case experimental design.

Background: Whiplash associated disorder (WAD), a common and disabling condition, incurs huge burden and costs to Australia. Yet, current treatments for whiplash are not very effective; improved outcomes are urgently needed. Clinical guidelines recommend simple analgesia (paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) but there have been no trials of guideline-recommended drugs.

An Algorithm to Evaluate Methodological Rigor and Risk of Bias in Single-Case Studies.

Critical appraisal scales play an important role in evaluating methodological rigor (MR) of between-groups and single-case designs (SCDs). For intervention research this forms an essential basis for ascertaining the strength of evidence. Yet, few such scales provide classifications that take into account the differential weighting of items contributing to internal validity.