[Employability as a Problem of the Vocational Rehabilitation of the Disabled.]

[Employability as a Problem of the Vocational Rehabilitation of the Disabled.]

Rehabilitation (Stuttg). 2013 Apr 2;
Beiler J

HubMed – rehab

Return to sport after injury rehabilitation: letter to the editor.

Am J Sports Med. 2013 Apr; 41(4): NP16-8
Tamburrino A, Myer GD, Martin L, Ford KR, Paterno MV, Schmitt LC, Heidt RS, Colosimo A, Hewett TE

HubMed – rehab

Changes in Sleep Patterns Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Controlled Study.

Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2013 Apr 2;
Ponsford JL, Parcell DL, Sinclair KL, Roper M, Rajaratnam SM

BACKGROUND: . Sleep changes are frequently reported following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and have an impact on rehabilitation and quality of life following injury. Potential causes include injury to brain regions associated with sleep regulation, as well as secondary factors, including depression, anxiety, and pain. Understanding the nature and causes of sleep changes following TBI represents a vital step in developing effective treatments. OBJECTIVE: . The study aimed to investigate subjective sleep changes in a community-based sample of individuals with TBI in comparison with noninjured age- and sex-matched controls and to explore the impact of secondary factors (pain, anxiety, depression, employment) on these self-reported sleep changes. METHODS: : A total of 153 participants with mild to severe TBI and 128 noninjured controls completed self-report measures relating to their sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, mood, fatigue, and pain and completed a sleep diary each day for 7 days. RESULTS: . Compared with the noninjured controls, participants with TBI reported significantly poorer sleep quality and higher levels of daytime sleepiness; sleep diaries revealed longer sleep onset latency, poorer sleep efficiency, longer sleep duration, and more frequent daytime napping in the TBI group, as well as earlier bedtimes and greater total sleep duration. Anxiety, depression, and pain were associated with poorer sleep quality. Greater injury severity was also associated with a need for longer sleep time. CONCLUSION: . These findings highlight the importance of assessing and addressing pain, anxiety, and depression as part of the process of treating TBI-related sleep disturbances. HubMed – rehab

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Polymorphism Influences Outcome After Ischemic Stroke: A Prospective Double-Blind Study.

Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2013 Apr 2;
Liepert J, Heller A, Behnisch G, Schoenfeld A

BACKGROUND: . To explore whether a polymorphism in dopamine metabolism influences the effectiveness of neurological rehabilitation and the outcome after ischemic stroke. METHODS: . The Barthel Index (BI) and the Rivermead Motor Assessment (RMA) were assessed in 78 moderately affected stroke patients (1) after they had entered a neurological inpatient rehabilitation, (2) after 4 weeks of rehabilitation therapy, and (3) 6 months later. Polymorphisms of the gene encoding catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) were determined. BI and RMA results were analyzed with respect to the genetic profiles of COMT. RESULTS: . Carriers of COMT Val/Val alleles showed better results in BI and RMA than COMT Met/Met carriers at all 3 time points. Val/Met carriers exhibited results in between the homozygotes, suggesting a gene-dose relationship. Altogether, BI and RMA results were highly correlated. CONCLUSION: . Stroke patients with COMT Val/Val alleles had higher motor functions and abilities of activities of daily living even at the beginning of the rehabilitation period. All patient groups improved during the rehabilitation period to a similar degree, suggesting that physical therapy is comparably effective in all polymorphism subtypes. HubMed – rehab