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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 8 of 8 Research Studies DisplayedMorrow EL, Mayberry LS, Duff MC
The growing gap: a study of sleep, encoding, and consolidation of new words in chronic traumatic brain injury.
Evidence from neuroscience emphasizes sleep as a crucial support for longitudinal memory and word learning. In numerous lab-based word learning experiments, participants encode and then retrieve new words within the same session. Single session designs are not adequate for capturing the full word learning process. Single session studies also inhibit exploration of the role of behavioral and lifestyle factors such as sleep in supporting longitudinal word learning. Adults with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI), who experience challenges in the memory systems that support word learning and report related sleep disturbance, provide a unique opportunity to explore linkages between memory, sleep, and word learning. The purpose of this study was to evaluate longitudinal word learning and the influence of sleep on short- and long-term word recall in 50 adults with chronic moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 50 demographically matched neurotypical peers. Participants took part in the study over a two week period in their homes in an attempt to capture the process of real-world word learning and to measure sleep within normal living conditions. The study found that participants with TBI demonstrated a deficit in word learning that started at encoding, continued across time, and increased over the course of the week. The gap in performance between groups was greater at the 1-week post-test than the immediate post-test. Participants with and without TBI recalled more words when they slept after learning.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Morrow EL, Mayberry LS, Duff MC .
The growing gap: a study of sleep, encoding, and consolidation of new words in chronic traumatic brain injury.
Neuropsychologia 2023 Jun 6; 184:108518. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108518..
Keywords: Brain Injury, Chronic Conditions, Sleep Problems, Trauma
Wu A, Zhou J, Quinlan N
Early palliative care consultation offsets hospitalization duration and costs for elderly patients with traumatic brain injuries: insights from a level 1 trauma center.
The purpose of this study was to identify variables and outcomes related to inpatient palliative care (PC) consultation for patients age 65+ with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The researchers included individuals over age 65 presenting from January 2013-September 2020 with TBI and intracranial hemorrhage. The study found that inpatient PC consultation was uncommon; with only 4% of 576 patients receiving. Features associated with likelihood of consultation were severe TBI and pre-existing dementia. Patients with PC consults had longer overall and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stays (LOS), more days intubated and higher costs. However, those patients with earlier-than-average PC consultation had shorter overall and ICU LOS as well as fewer ventilator days on a ventilator and lower costs. The study concluded that older patients with TBI have a greater likelihood of receiving PC consultation based on pre-existing dementia and severe TBI and patients with PC consultations had worse LOS and higher costs, but those impacts were diminished by earlier involvement from the PC.
AHRQ-funded; HS028747.
Citation: Wu A, Zhou J, Quinlan N .
Early palliative care consultation offsets hospitalization duration and costs for elderly patients with traumatic brain injuries: insights from a level 1 trauma center.
J Clin Neurosci 2023 Feb; 108:1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2022.12.013..
Keywords: Elderly, Palliative Care, Hospitalization, Brain Injury
Luther M, Poppert Cordts KM, Williams CN
Sleep disturbances after pediatric traumatic brain injury: a systematic review of prevalence, risk factors, and association with recovery.
This is a systematic review to quantify sleep wake disturbances (SWD) after pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). These SWD can place children at risk for worse outcomes since sleep is needed for brain development and healing after injury. They also evaluated interventions for SWD and the association between SWD and other post-traumatic outcomes. Literature was searched from 1999-2019 evaluating sleep or fatigue in children hospitalized for TBI. Two independent reviewers assessed quality of the studies using the Newcastle-Ottowa Score for observational studies. Out of 966 identified articles, 126 full text articles were reviewed and 24 studies were included. Studies showed at least 20% of children with TBI had some degree of SWD including trouble falling or staying asleep, fatigue, daytime fatigue, and nightmares. SWD was negatively correlated with cognitive, behavioral, and quality of life outcomes. There was moderate-high risk of bias for all studies due to small sample size and lack of validated or objective SWD measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Luther M, Poppert Cordts KM, Williams CN .
Sleep disturbances after pediatric traumatic brain injury: a systematic review of prevalence, risk factors, and association with recovery.
Sleep 2020 Oct;43(10):zsaa083. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa083..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Sleep Problems, Brain Injury, Neurological Disorders, Trauma, Risk, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Quality of Life, Evidence-Based Practice
Porter A, Brown CC, Tilford JM
Association of insurance status with treatment and outcomes in pediatric patients with severe traumatic brain injury.
This study’s objective was to determine if a health insurance disparity exists among pediatric patients with severe traumatic brain injury using data from the National Trauma Data Bank. The Bank contains data from more than 800 trauma centers in the United States. Isolated traumatic brain injury was defined as patients with a head Abbreviated Injury Scale score of 3+. Procedure codes were used to identify four primary treatment approaches combined into 2 classifications: craniotomy or craniectomy and external or intracranial ventricular draining. Condition at admission was defined including hypotension, Glasgow Coma Scale, mechanism and intent of injury, and Injury Severity Scale. Among the cohort of 12,449 patients, 91% had insurance and 9% were uninsured. Children without insurance had worse condition at admission with higher rates of hypotension and higher Injury Severity Score when compared with publicly and privately insured patients. Having insurance was associated with a 32% increase in the odds of cranial procedures, and 54% increase in the odds of monitor placement. Insurance coverage was associated 25% lower odds of inpatient mortality. Further study is needed to determine what factors lead to worse condition at admission.
Citation: Porter A, Brown CC, Tilford JM .
Association of insurance status with treatment and outcomes in pediatric patients with severe traumatic brain injury.
Crit Care Med 2020 Jul;48(7):e584-e91. doi: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000004398..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Brain Injury, Trauma, Health Insurance, Access to Care, Uninsured, Outcomes
Henry MK, Feudtner C, Fortin K
Occult head injuries in infants evaluated for physical abuse.
Abusive head injuries in infants may be occult but clinically or forensically important. Data conflict regarding yield of neuroimaging in detecting occult head injuries in infants evaluated for physical abuse, with prior studies identifying yields of 4.3-37.3 %. The objectives of this study were (1) To quantify yield of computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging in identification of occult head injuries in infants with concerns for physical abuse and (2) To evaluate risk factors for occult head injuries.
AHRQ-funded; HS024194.
Citation: Henry MK, Feudtner C, Fortin K .
Occult head injuries in infants evaluated for physical abuse.
Child Abuse Negl 2020 May;103:104431. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104431..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Brain Injury, Domestic Violence, Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Injuries and Wounds
Probst MA, Gupta M, Hendey GW
Prevalence of intracranial injury in adult patients with blunt head trauma with and without anticoagulant or antiplatelet use.
In this study, the investigators determined the prevalence of significant intracranial injury among adults with blunt head trauma who are receiving preinjury anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications. The investigators concluded that patients receiving preinjury warfarin or a combination of aspirin and clopidogrel were at increased risk for significant intracranial injury, but not those receiving aspirin alone. They suggested that clinicians should have a low threshold for neuroimaging when evaluating patients receiving warfarin or a combination of aspirin and clopidogrel.
AHRQ-funded; HS009699.
Citation: Probst MA, Gupta M, Hendey GW .
Prevalence of intracranial injury in adult patients with blunt head trauma with and without anticoagulant or antiplatelet use.
Ann Emerg Med 2020 Mar;75(3):354-64. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.10.004..
Keywords: Brain Injury, Injuries and Wounds, Blood Thinners, Medication, Medication: Safety, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Risk
Williams CN, Hartman ME, McEvoy CT
Sleep-wake disturbances after acquired brain injury in children surviving critical care.
Sleep-wake disturbances are underevaluated among children with acquired brain injury surviving critical care. In this prospective cohort study, the investigators aimed to quantify severity, phenotypes, and risk factors for sleep-wake disturbances. The investigators concluded that over half of children surviving critical care with acquired brain injury have sleep-wake disturbances. They indicated that many sleep-wake disturbances phenotypes were identified, but most children had disturbance in initiation and maintenance of sleep.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Williams CN, Hartman ME, McEvoy CT .
Sleep-wake disturbances after acquired brain injury in children surviving critical care.
Pediatr Neurol 2020 Feb;103:43-51. doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2019.08.010..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Brain Injury, Critical Care, Sleep Problems, Trauma, Injuries and Wounds, Neurological Disorders
Simon KC, Reams N, Beltran E
Optimizing the electronic medical record to improve patient care and conduct quality improvement initiatives in a concussion specialty clinic.
The purpose of this study was to use the electronic medical record (EMR) to optimize patient care, facilitate documentation, and support quality improvement and practice-based research in a concussion (mild traumatic brain injury; mTBI) clinic. The investigators built a customized structured clinical documentation support (SCDS) toolkit for patients in a concussion specialty clinic. The toolkit collected hundreds of fields of discrete,
AHRQ-funded; HS024057.
Citation: Simon KC, Reams N, Beltran E .
Optimizing the electronic medical record to improve patient care and conduct quality improvement initiatives in a concussion specialty clinic.
Brain Inj 2020;34(1):62-67. doi: 10.1080/02699052.2019.1680867..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Brain Injury, Neurological Disorders