#NPsychTeamResearch – Impact of Covid-19 lockdown for people with brain injury in the UK. Carlacci De Mattia, Campbell, Parrett. The Neuropsychologist April 2023 via NPsych

The Neuropsychologist 15: 40-51

Impact of Covid-19 lockdown on the mood, behaviour, and social activities of people with brain injury in the UK: Results of a survey of brain injury professionals’ reports

#NPsychTeamResearch

 

Abstract

The Covid-19 related lockdown of March–June 2020 in the United Kingdom (UK) may have negatively affected mood and behaviour of people with brain injuries. Conversely, there may have been beneficial effects due to reduced demand on cognition and emotional regulation. In this online survey study, care coordinators (n=19) assessed the consequences of lockdown on 130 individuals with ABI (range 3–29 clients per care co-ordinator; 10–65years+; and mostly living in residential care). The majority of reports were of no change to mood, behaviour, or social functioning (105 ratings). However, respondents reported that 88 (68 per cent) clients presented with changes: 63 clients (48 per cent) had lower mood, higher distress, and agitation, and were less engaged in usual activities; while 25 clients (19 per cent) were reported to have improved. Moreover, 13/19 (68 per cent) of respondents reported increased vulnerabilities in their clients, and 5/19 (26 per cent) reported online exploitation, controlling behaviour from partner and financial scams. These data present a mixed picture of how the first national lockdown affected people with ABI.

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Effects of animal-assisted therapy on social behaviour in patients with acquired brain injury: a randomised controlled trial. Scientific Reports, 2019.

Effects of animal-assisted therapy on social behaviour in patients with acquired brain injury: a randomised controlled trial.

Karin Hediger, Stefan Thommen, Cora Wagner, Jens Gaab & Margret Hund-Georgiadis. Nature: Scientific Reports, volume 9, Published: 09 April 2019.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-42280-0

Abstract
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is increasingly used to address impaired social competence in patients with acquired brain injury. However, the efficacy of AAT has not been tested in these patients. We used a randomised, controlled within subject trial to determine the effects of AAT on social competence in patients undergoing stationary neurorehabilitation. Participants received both AAT sessions and paralleled conventional therapy sessions. The patients’ social behaviour was systematically coded on the basis of video recordings of therapy sessions. Moreover, mood, treatment motivation and satisfaction was measured during each therapy session. We analysed 222 AAT and 219 control sessions of 19 patients with linear mixed models. Patients showed a significantly higher amount of social behaviour during AAT. Furthermore, patients’ positive emotions, verbal and non-verbal communication, mood, treatment motivation and satisfaction were increased in the presence of an animal. Neutral emotions were reduced but no effect was found regarding negative emotions. Our results show that AAT increases aspects of social competence and leads to higher emotional involvement of patients with acquired brain injury, reflected in higher social engagement, motivation and satisfaction during a therapeutic session.

Special Issue – Therapeutic Benefits of Physical Activity for Mood: A Systematic Review on the Effects of Exercise Intensity, Duration, and Modality. J Psychol, 2018

Special Issue – Therapeutic Benefits of Physical Activity for Mood: A Systematic Review on the Effects of Exercise Intensity, Duration, and Modality.

John S. Y. Chan, Guanmin Liu, Danxia Liang, Kanfeng Deng, Jiamin Wu & Jin H. Yan.

Published online: 15 Oct 2018 The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied.

Abstract

In contemporary society, people experience considerable stress in their daily lives. Therefore, developing effective approaches and convenient means to cope with their mood problems is important nowadays. Physical activity has been consistently reported as a cost-effective way to improve physical fitness, prevent mental illnesses, and alleviate mood problems. In this systematic review, the effects of exercise intensity, duration, and modality on mood change are discussed.

Results show that moderate-intensity anaerobic exercise is associated with greater mood improvements. The relationship between exercise duration and mood change is non-linear; A regime of 10- to 30-minute exercise is sufficient for mood improvements. For exercise modality, anaerobic exercise improves mood, but the efficacy of aerobic and mindfulness-related exercises remains to be further examined.

In addition to the systematic review of potential moderators, a narrative review of psychological and neurophysiological theories of exercise effects on mood is provided; we have highlighted the central role of neuroplasticity in integrating the two classes of theories. An adoption of neuroimaging techniques in future research is critical to reveal the mechanisms underpinning the therapeutic influence of physical activity on affective responses. Some future research directions are also raised.

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2018.1470487

 

Direct Electrical Stimulation of Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex Acutely Improves Mood in Individuals with Symptoms of Depression

Direct Electrical Stimulation of Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex Acutely Improves Mood in Individuals with Symptoms of Depression, Vikram R. Rao, Kristin K. Sellers, Deanna L. Wallace, Maryam M. Shanechi, Heather E. Dawes, Edward F. Chang. Current Biology. Published: November 29, 2018

Summary

Mood disorders cause significant morbidity and mortality, and existing therapies fail 20%–30% of patients. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an emerging treatment for refractory mood disorders, but its success depends critically on target selection. DBS focused on known targets within mood-related frontostriatal and limbic circuits has been variably efficacious.

Here, we examine the effects of stimulation in orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a key hub for mood-related circuitry that has not been well characterized as a stimulation target. We studied 25 subjects with epilepsy who were implanted with intracranial electrodes for seizure localization. Baseline depression traits ranged from mild to severe. We serially assayed mood state over several days using a validated questionnaire. Continuous electrocorticography enabled investigation of neurophysiological correlates of mood-state changes. We used implanted electrodes to stimulate OFC and other brain regions while collecting verbal mood reports and questionnaire scores.

We found that unilateral stimulation of the lateral OFC produced acute, dose-dependent mood-state improvement in subjects with moderate-to-severe baseline depression. Stimulation suppressed low-frequency power in OFC, mirroring neurophysiological features that were associated with positive mood states during natural mood fluctuation. Stimulation potentiated single-pulse-evoked responses in OFC and modulated activity within distributed structures implicated in mood regulation. Behavioral responses to stimulation did not include hypomania and indicated an acute restoration to non-depressed mood state.

Together, these findings indicate that lateral OFC stimulation broadly modulates mood-related circuitry to improve mood state in depressed patients, revealing lateral OFC as a promising new target for therapeutic brain stimulation in mood disorders.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.10.026

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