Cognitive function and health-related quality of life 1 year after acute brain injury: An observational study

Survivorship After Neurocritical Care: A Scoping Review of Outcomes Beyond Physical Status

Following intensive care unit hospitalization, survivors of acute neurological injury often experience debilitating short-term and long-term impairments. Although the physical/motor impairments experienced by survivors of acute neurological injury have been described extensively, fewer studies have examined cognitive, mental health, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and employment outcomes. This scoping review describes the publication landscape beyond physical and/or motor sequelae in neurocritical care survivors. Databases were searched for terms related to critical illness, intensive care, and outcomes from January 1970 to March 2022. English-language studies of critically ill adults with a primary neurological diagnosis were included if they reported on at least one outcome of interest: cognition, mental health, HRQoL or employment. Data extraction was performed in duplicate for prespecified variables related to study outcomes. Of 16,036 abstracts screened, 74 citations were identified for inclusion. The studies encompassed seven worldwide regions and eight neurocritical diagnosis categories. Publications reporting outcomes of interest increased from 3 before the year 2000 to 71 after. Follow-up time points included ≤ 1 (n = 15 [20%] citations), 3 (n = 28 [38%]), 6 (n = 28 [38%]), and 12 (n = 21 [28%]) months and 1 to 5 (n = 19 [26%]) and > 5 years (n = 8 [11%]), with 28 (38%) citations evaluating outcomes at multiple time points. Sixty-six assessment tools were used to evaluate the four outcomes of interest: 22 evaluating HRQoL (56 [76%] citations), 21 evaluating cognition (20 [27%] citations), 21 evaluating mental health (18 [24%] citations), and 2 evaluating employment (9 [12%] citations). This scoping review aimed to better understand the literature landscape regarding nonphysical outcomes in survivors of neurocritical care. Although a rising number of publications highlight growing awareness, future efforts are needed to improve study consistency and comparability and characterize outcomes in a disease-specific manner, including outlining of a minimum core outcomes set and associated assessment tools.

Hospitalisation costs and health related quality of life in delirious patients: a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Delirium is a common condition of a global disturbance of cognition, triggered by underlying diseases. The objective of this study is to review the current evidence in the literature on direct healthcare costs and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) associated with delirium.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and Embase for relevant studies published between January 1, 2010 and November 4, 2021. Studies for inclusion reported estimates on healthcare costs or HRQOL, adjusted for relevant confounding factors.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies on healthcare costs and eleven studies on HRQOL were included. Delirium resulted in (adjusted) increased costs ranging from $1,532 to $22,269 depending on included cost categories, the country and the type of hospital department. Increased length of stay for delirious patients ranged from 2.5 days to 10.4 days and had the largest contribution to overall, direct incremental costs. Heterogeneity was observed in HRQOL outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The analysis indicates that the presence of a delirium episode may lead to increased costs of hospitalisation. Changes in HRQOL due to delirium are not well demonstrated and more research is needed to determine the effect of delirium on HRQOL.

The Effect of Yoga Meditation Practice on Young Adults' Inhibitory Control: An fNIRS Study

Objectives: The present study aimed to test the effect of yoga meditation (YoMed) practice on inhibitory control of young adults.

Methods: A total of 50 participants (23 male, 21–28 years old) from a university in Jinan, Shandong Province were enrolled in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to a YoMed group or a Control group. Participants’ basic information, physical activity, and inhibitory control were measured. A multi-channel continuous-wave near-infrared spectrometer was used to monitor the brain’s hemodynamic responses.

Results: After the intervention, we found significant differences in Flanker tasks between the YoMed group and Control group. The accuracy in the YoMed group was higher than those in the Control group (p < 0.05). Analysis of fNIRS data showed that oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) increased in the YoMed group during the Flanker tasks after the YoMed intervention.

Conclusion: YoMed has a temporarily promoting effect on the brain activation of young adults. It is an effective and appropriate exercise to improve the inhibitory control of young adults.