Cognitive predictors of recovery after brain injury: version 1.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Cognitive predictors of recovery after brain injury
IRAS ID
194265
Contact name
Sarah Gunn
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leicester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
It is challenging to predict the extent to which a brain-injured patient may recover their cognitive abilities, functional/physical abilities and emotional wellbeing. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), a cognitive assessment for dementia patients, can predict a limited degree of functional, cognitive and emotional recovery at a year post-admission to inpatient rehabilitation. However, more accurate predictions on admission would offer multiple benefits. Firstly, it would improve information for patients and families regarding the likely prognosis. Secondly, it would help the therapeutic team to plan interventions to maximise recovery. Finally, it would enable discharge planning to begin quickly after admission, giving more time to plan outpatient services, acquire equipment, find the most appropriate discharge location and generally avoid gaps in support/therapy after discharge.
It may be possible to improve prediction of recovery using the recently-developed Short Parallel Assessments of Neuropsychological Status (SPANS), a validated cognitive assessment for brain-injured patients. The SPANS may provide a more accurate overview of patients’ cognition (and theoretically produce better predictions), as it is designed to reduce the effects of common symptoms like fatigue and impaired attention. It also assesses implicit skills, such as learning ability and speed of processing, in addition to more explicit skills like language/memory. The question, therefore, is whether the SPANS predicts functional, cognitive and emotional recovery in moderately to severely brain-injured inpatients more accurately than the currently-used RBANS.
Participants would be identified on admission to inpatient NHS rehabilitation. Those who possess capacity to consent and meet the inclusion criteria would be invited to participate. Participants would complete the RBANS and SPANS at 3-4 weeks post-admission, then engage in routine multidisciplinary rehabilitative therapy. At 6 months post-admission, they would complete measures of wellbeing, cognition and functional ability. The accuracy of SPANS and RBANS assessments can then be compared.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/EM/0139
Date of REC Opinion
26 Apr 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion