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BACKGROUND: Care of brain-injured patients in intensive care units has focused on maintaining arterial blood pressure and intracranial pressure within prescribed ranges. Research suggests, however, that the dynamic variability of these pressure signals provides additional information about physiological functioning and may reflect adaptive capacity. OBJECTIVES: To see if long-term outcomes can be predicted from variability of arterial blood pressure and intracranial pressure in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. METHODS: Arterial blood pressure and intracranial pressure were monitored continuously for 4 days in 90 patients (74% women; mean age, 53 years) in an intensive care unit after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Variability of arterial blood pressure and intracranial pressure signals was calculated on 4 timescales: 24 hours, 1 hour, 5 minutes, and the difference of sequential 5-second means. The Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale was used to assess functional outcome 6 months after subarachnoid hemorrhage. RESULTS: Pressure variability was better than mean pressure levels for predicting 6-month functional outcome. When initial neurological condition was controlled for, greater faster variability (particularly 5-second) was associated with better outcomes (typical P<.001), whereas greater 24-hour variability was associated with poorer outcomes (typical P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between long-term functional outcome and variability of arterial blood pressure and intracranial pressure levels depends on the timescale at which the variability is measured. Because it is associated with better outcome, greater faster variability may reflect better physiological adaptive capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to determine if brief psychosocial/behavioral therapy directed to reduce poststroke depression would decrease fatigue and improve sleep-wake disturbance., Design: A preplanned secondary data analysis from a completed clinical trial was conducted., Methods: One hundred participants received usual care, in-person intervention, or telephone intervention. Depression, fatigue, and sleep-wake disturbance were measured at entry, 8 weeks, 21 weeks, and 12 months following the intervention., Findings: Fatigue (within: p = .042, between: p = .394), sleep disturbance (within: p = .024, between: p = .102), and wake disturbance (within: p = .004, between: p = .508) decreased over the 12 months in the intervention groups, but not in the control group. This difference was clinically meaningful for wake disturbance and approached the clinically important difference for fatigue., Conclusions/clinical Relevance: Reduction in wake disturbance was consistent with clinically meaningful difference standards for patient-reported outcomes, warranting further research in larger samples., (Copyright © 2021 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.)

Background: Sleep-related impairment is a common but under-appreciated complication after stroke and may impede stroke recovery. Yet little is known about factors associated with sleep-related impairment after stroke., Objective: The purpose of this analysis was to examine the relationship between stroke impact symptoms and sleep-related impairment among stroke survivors., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of a baseline (entry) data in a completed clinical trial with 100 community-dwelling stroke survivors recruited within 4 months after stroke. Sleep-related impairment and stroke impact domain symptoms after stroke were assessed with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep-Related Impairment scale and the Stroke Impact Scale, respectively. A multivariate regression was computed., Results: Stroke impact domain-mood (B = -0.105, t = -3.263, p = .002) - and fatigue (B = 0.346, t = 3.997, p < .001) were associated with sleep-related impairment., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that ongoing stroke impact symptoms are closely related to sleep-related impairment. An intervention targeting both stroke impact symptoms and sleep-related impairment may be useful in improving neurologic recovery and quality of life in stroke survivors., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A psychosocial behavioral intervention delivered in-person by advanced practice nurses has been shown effective in substantially reducing post-stroke depression (PSD). This follow-up trial compared the effectiveness of a shortened intervention delivered by either telephone or in-person to usual care. To our knowledge, this is the first of current behavioral therapy trials to expand the protocol in a new clinical sample. 100 people with Geriatric Depression Scores ≥ 11 were randomized within 4 months of stroke to usual care (N = 28), telephone intervention (N = 37), or in-person intervention (N = 35). Primary outcome was response [percent reduction in the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS)] and remission (HDRS score < 10) at 8 weeks and 12 months post treatment., Results: Intervention groups were combined for the primary analysis (pre-planned). The mean response in HDRS scores was 39% reduction for the combined intervention group (40% in-person; 38% telephone groups) versus 33% for the usual care group at 8 weeks (p = 0.3). Remission occurred in 37% in the combined intervention groups at 8 weeks versus 27% in the control group (p = 0.3) and 44% intervention versus 36% control at 12 months (p = 0.5). While favouring the intervention, these differences were not statistically significant., Conclusions: A brief psychosocial intervention for PSD delivered by telephone or in-person did not reduce depression significantly more than usual care. However, the comparable effectiveness of telephone and in-person follow-up for treatment of depression found is important given greater accessibility by telephone and mandated post-hospital follow-up for comprehensive stroke centers. Clinical Trial Registration URL: https://register.clinicaltrials.gov , unique identifier: NCT01133106, Registered 5/26/2010.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine (1) the prevalence and degree of hypothermia in patients on emergency department admission and (2) the effect of hypothermia and rate of rewarming on patient outcomes., Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted on patients admitted to a level I trauma center following severe traumatic brain injury (n = 147). Patients were grouped according to temperature on admission according to hypothermia status and rate of rewarming (rapid or slow). Regression analyses were performed., Findings: Hypothermic patients were more likely to have lower postresuscitation Glasgow Coma Scale scores and a higher initial injury severity score. Hypothermia on admission was correlated with longer intensive care unit stays, a lower Glasgow Coma Scale score at discharge, higher mortality rate, and lower Glasgow outcome score-extended scores up to 6 months postinjury (P < .05). When controlling for other factors, rewarming rates more than 0.25°C/h were associated with lower Glasgow Coma Scale scores at discharge, longer intensive care unit length of stay, and higher mortality rate than patients rewarmed more slowly although these did not reach statistical significance., Conclusion: Hypothermia on admission is correlated with worse outcomes in brain-injured patients. Patients with traumatic brain injury who are rapidly rewarmed may be more likely to have worse outcomes. Trauma protocols may need to be reexamined to include controlled rewarming at rates 0.25°C/h or less.

Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) is a recently developed technique suitable for describing scaling behavior of variability in physiological signals. The purpose of this study is to explore applicability of DFA methods to intracranial pressure (ICP) signals recorded in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). In addition to establishing the degree of fit of the power-law scaling model of detrended fluctuations of ICP in TBI patients, we also examined the relationship of DFA coefficients (scaling exponent and intercept) to: 1) measures of initial neurological functioning; 2) measures of functional outcome at six month follow-up; and 3) measures of outcome, controlling for patient characteristics, and initial neurological status. In a sample of 147 moderate-to-severely injured TBI patients, we found that a higher DFA scaling exponent is significantly associated with poorer initial neurological functioning, and that lower DFA intercept and higher DFA scaling exponent jointly predict poorer functional outcome at six month follow-up, even after statistical control for covariates reflecting initial neurological condition. DFA describes properties of ICP signal in TBI patients that are associated with both initial neurological condition and outcome at six months postinjury.

Background: Nurses' ability to rapidly detect decreases in cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), which may contribute to secondary brain injury, may be limited by poor visibility of CPP displays., Objective: To evaluate the impact of a highly visible CPP display on the functional outcome in individuals with cerebral aneurysms., Methods: Patients with cerebral aneurysms (n = 100) who underwent continuous CPP monitoring were enrolled and randomized to beds with or without the additional CPP display. Six-month outcome was assessed., Results: Functional outcome was not significantly different between control and intervention groups after controlling for initial neurologic condition (odds ratio .904, 95% confidence interval 0.317 to 2.573). However, greater time below CPP thresholds (55 to 70 mm Hg) was significantly associated with poorer outcome (P = .005 to .010)., Conclusions: Although the enhanced CPP display was not associated with significantly better outcome, longer periods of CPP below set levels were associated with poorer outcome.

Background: Research suggests that intracranial pressure (ICP) dynamics beyond just absolute ICP level provide information reflecting intracranial adaptive capacity. Specifically, evidence indicates that physiologic variability provides information about system functioning that may reflect dimensions of adaptive capacity. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between ICP variability in patients following moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and outcome at hospital discharge and 6 months post-injury., Methods: ICP was monitored continuously for 4 days in 147 patients (78% male; mean (SD) age = 37 years (18 years)). ICP variability indices were calculated for four time scales (24 h, 60 min, 5 min and 5 s). Functional outcome was assessed using the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE). Logistic regression was used to estimate odds of survival or favorable outcome, and ordinal regression was used to estimate odds for outcome above versus below GOSE thresholds, predicted by ICP variability, controlling for age, gender, Glasgow Coma Scale motor score, craniectomy, and ICP level., Findings: ICP variability indices were better predictors of 6-month outcome than mean ICP. Survival was significantly associated with greater 5-s ICP variability (p < 0.001). Higher ICP variability on shorter time scales was associated with better functional outcome (5-s RMSSD, 5-min SD: p < 0.002; 60-min SD: p < 0.011)., Conclusions: ICP variability may reflect the degree of intactness of intracranial adaptive ability.

Introduction: In the acute phase following brain injury, alterations in temperature regulation occur commonly and are associated with poorer outcome. However, few studies have examined temperature rhythm following brain insult, such as rupture and surgical management of ruptured cerebral aneurysms, and its association with clinical factors and outcome., Methods: This study describes diurnal temperature patterns in patients hospitalized for acute management of cerebral aneurysms (n = 86). Temperature mesor, amplitude, and acrophase were estimated from recorded temperature measurements using cosinor analysis. The association of these patterns with clinical condition, mortality, and 6-month functional outcome was examined., Results: Changes in the temperature cosinor parameters were varied and individual. Most patients experienced elevated mesors (Mean +/- SD, 37.8 +/- 0.4 degrees C) and blunted amplitudes (0.27 +/- 0.14 degrees C). Acrophases were widely dispersed, with only 27% in the normative 12 noon to 6 PM quadrant. Cosinor parameters (particularly the mesor) showed greater alteration in patients with worse initial condition (e.g. Hunt and Hess score > or = 2: P = 0.001, Glasgow Coma Scale < 15: P = 0.001) and poorer 6-month outcome (e.g. mortality: P = 0.013, Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale < 5: P = 0.018)., Conclusion: Abnormal cosinor parameters provided additional predictive information in relation to outcome, beyond the impact of initial neurologic condition. Further research is needed to understand the pathophysiology of temperature regulation following cerebral aneurysm rupture and to determine if temperature management strategies can alter outcome.

Fever is frequently encountered by neuroscience nurses in patients with neurological insults and often results in worsened patient outcomes when compared with similar patients who do not have fever. Best practices in fever management are then essential to optimizing patient outcomes. Yet the topic of best nursing practices for fever management is largely ignored in the clinical and research literature, which can complicate the achievement of best practices. A national survey to gauge fever management practices and decision making by neuroscience nurses was administered to members of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. Results of the questionnaire portion of the survey were previously published. This report presents a content analysis of the responses of neuroscience nurses to the open-ended-question portion of the survey (n = 106), which revealed a dichotomous primary focus on nursing- or patient-related issues. In addition, respondents described barriers and issues in the provision of fever-management care to neuroscience patients. In order to advance national best practices for fever management in neurologically vulnerable patients, further work needs to be conducted, particularly with regard to necessary continuing education for staff, facilitation of interdisciplinary communication, and development of patient care protocols. Neuroscience nurses are in an excellent position to provide leadership in these areas.

Neuroscience patients with fever may have worse outcomes than those who are afebrile. However, neuroscience nurses who encounter this common problem face a translational gap between patient-outcomes research and bedside practice because there is no current evidence-based standard of care for fever management of the neurologically vulnerable patient. The aim of this study was to determine if there are trends in national practices for fever and hyperthermia management of the neurologically vulnerable patient. A 15-item mailed questionnaire was used to determine national and regional trends in fever and hyperthermia management and decision making by neuroscience nurses. Members of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses were surveyed (N = 1,225) and returned 328 usable surveys. Fewer than 20% of respondents reported having an explicit fever management protocol in place for neurologic patients, and 12.5% reported having a nonspecific patient protocol available for fever management. Several clear and consistent patterns in interventions for fever and hyperthermia management were seen nationally, including acetaminophen administration at a dose of 650 mg every 4 hours, ice packs, water cooling blankets, and tepid bathing. However, regional differences were seen in intervention choices and initial temperature to treat.

Fever, in the presence of traumatic brain injury (TBI), is associated with worsened neurologic outcomes. Studies prior to the publication of management guidelines revealed an undertreatment of fever in patients with neurologic insults. Presently the adult TBI guidelines state that maintenance of normothermia should be a standard of care therefore improvement in management of fever in these patients would be expected. The specific aims of the study were to: (1) determine the incidence of fever (T>or=38.5 degrees C) in a population of critically ill patients with TBI; (2) describe what interventions were recorded by intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in managing fever; (3) ascertain the rate of adherence with published normothermia guidelines. Medical record review of available hospital records was conducted on patients admitted to a level I trauma center following severe TBI (N=108) from the parent study. Temperature data was abstracted and contemporaneous nursing documentation was examined for evidence of intervention for fever and adherence with published standards. Data analyses were performed that included descriptive statistics. Seventy-nine percent of TBI patients (85/108) had at least one recorded fever event while in the ICU. However in only 31% of events did the patient receive any documented intervention by nursing staff for the elevated temperature. The most frequently documented intervention was pharmacologic (358/1166 elevations). Other nursing actions (e.g. use of fan) accounted for a minority (<1%) of nursing interventions documented. Patients were more likely to have a high temperature that exceeded 40 degrees C (13%) than a temperature that was normothermic (5%). There continues to be an under treatment of fever in patients with TBI by critical care nurses despite our knowledge of its negative effects on outcomes. There remains a gap in translation between patient outcomes research and bedside practice that needs to be overcome, thus research efforts need to now focus on understanding nurses' decision-making processes and the best methods of fever reduction in patients with TBI.

Background: Clinical bedside monitoring systems do not provide prominent displays of data on cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). Immediate visual feedback would allow more rapid intervention to prevent or minimize suboptimal pressures., Objective: To evaluate the effect of a highly visible CPP display on immediate and long-term functional outcome in patients with traumatic brain injury., Methods: A total of 157 patients with traumatic brain injury at a level 1 trauma center who had invasive arterial blood pressure and intracranial pressure monitoring were randomized to beds with or without an additional, prominent continuous CPP display. Primary end points were scores on the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE) and Functional Status Examination (FSE) 6 months after injury. Secondary end points were GOSE scores at discharge and 3 months after injury and FSE score 3 months after injury., Results: Although GOSE and FSE scores at 6 months were better in the group with the highly visible CPP display, the differences were not significant. Slope of recovery for GOSE and FSE over all follow-up time points did not differ significantly between groups. However, the intervention's positive effect on odds of survival at hospital discharge was strong and significant. Within a subgroup of more severely injured patients, the intervention group was much less likely than the control group to have CPP deviations., Conclusions: The presence of a highly visible display of CPP was associated with significantly better odds of survival and overall condition at discharge.

The brain depends on a continuous flow of blood to provide it with oxygen and glucose needed to maintain normal function and structural integrity, thus cerebral blood flow is normally tightly regulated. A decrease in cerebral blood flow to ischemic levels may be tolerated for only minutes to hours, depending on the severity of the ischemia. If cerebral blood flow ceases completely, brain cell death occurs within minutes. A variety of conditions are encountered clinically, such as stroke or traumatic brain injury, where an actual or potential alteration in cerebral blood flow puts the brain at risk for ischemia and infarction. In this article, the physiology of cerebral blood flow will be presented as a basis for understanding cerebral blood flow regulation and the rationale for clinical interventions to optimize cerebral blood flow. Techniques currently available to assess cerebral blood flow and clinical situations in which cerebral blood flow is measured will be discussed. Clinical interventions will be presented briefly.

This study examined the relationship of cumulative percent time that cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) fell below set thresholds to outcome in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The sample included 157 patients (16 to 89 years of age, 79%, male) admitted to an intensive care unit at an academic medical center who underwent invasive arterial blood pressure and intracranial pressure monitoring. CPP levels were recorded continuously during the first 96 hours of monitoring. Initial neurologic status was assessed using the post-resuscitation Glasgow Coma Scale. Outcome was evaluated at hospital discharge and at six months post-injury using the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE). The relationship of cumulative periods of low CPP to outcome was evaluated using hierarchical and binary logistic regression analysis, controlling for age, gender, and injury severity. Patients experiencing less cumulative percent time below specific CPP thresholds were more likely to have better outcome at discharge (55 mm Hg, p = .004; 60 mm Hg, p = .008; 65 mm Hg, p = .024; 70 mm Hg, p = .016). Although differences in GOSE scores at six months were not significant, those with less time below CPP thresholds were more likely to survive. Accumulated episodes of low CPP had a stronger negative relationship with outcome in patients with more severe primary brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant cause of death and disability in the United States. Sex has not been thoroughly examined as a factor that may influence outcome following TBI. Clinical studies involving humans that have focused on sex and TBI outcome have yielded inconclusive results, yet sex-related physiologic differences have been demonstrated in animal studies. The purpose of this study is to examine the interaction of sex and age in relation to outcome at 3 and 6 months postinjury in a population of individuals with TBI. The sample includes 157 subjects (124 males, 33 females), 16 to 89 years of age, admitted to a level 1 trauma center following TBI. Physiologic data and information about injury severity and clinical course were gathered during hospitalization. Outcome was assessed at 3 and 6 months postinjury using the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE) and Functional Status Examination (FSE). In this sample, there was a significant relationship between sex and age with respect to functional outcome at 6 months following TBI, controlling for initial injury severity. Females age 30 years or older had significantly poorer outcome as measured by the GOSE (P = 0.031) and the FSE (P = 0.037) than either males or younger females. There was also a very different rate of recovery, with women age 30 years and older, on average, showing no improvement between 3 and 6 months postinjury. Further study is needed to elucidate the reasons why sex may affect outcome following TBI.

Despite advances in the management of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), a significant percentage of survivors are left with persistent cognitive, behavioral, and emotional changes that affect their day-to-day lives. This article describes outcome at 3 months after aneurysmal SAH in 61 patients, using the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE) and the Functional Status Examination (FSE). The GOSE provides a measure of overall functional outcome but does not address the specifics of functional limitations. The FSE, in addition to identifying functional limitations, provides insight into factors contributing to them and the extent to which SAH survivors perceive them as affecting their day-to-day activities. The findings of this study demonstrate that SAH survivors have considerable limitations in functional status in almost all areas of daily living at 3 months following SAH. The limitations were attributed to a variety of physical, cognitive, and emotional factors, and they were reported to be moderately to severely bothersome in almost half of the individuals. The findings highlight the need for appropriate rehabilitation, education, and support for SAH survivors and their families to enhance coping and improve quality of life, given the substantial and persistent impact of SAH.

This study developed and tested the acceptability of a computer interface intended to provide better information about CPP to Neuro Intensive Care nurses. Maintaining adequate CPP is crucial in preventing secondary brain injury, yet current monitoring data displays have poor ergonomics that minimize usable information for clinicians. Information systems developmental methods were used to 1) formulate the model for CPP information display, 2) develop the system with end-users, and 3) install the system in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit. System testing for effects on clinicians and patient outcomes is occurring in a randomized clinical trial. Metaphor graphic and universal graphic displays were tested with 37 staff nurses from three intensive care units using continuous ICP monitoring. Nursing staff preferred an augmented universal data display to the metaphor graphics, endorsing a modified trend area graph with threshold-dependent properties. The preferred model was programmed in Visual Basic and installed on small computers that were randomly allocated as live or blank displays to beds of newly admitted head injury or aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients with continuous monitoring. Nursing acceptability of the information interface was achieved through the use of end-user focus groups that resulted in modifying the metaphor graphic approach to a more readily understandable one.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Czosnyka and others' Pressure Reactivity Index (PRx) and neurologic outcome in patients with acute brain injury, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cerebrovascular pathology. PRx measures the correlation between arterial blood pressure and intracranial pressure waves and may reflect cerebral autoregulation in response to blood pressure changes. A negative PRx reflects intact cerebrovascular response, whereas a positive PRx reflects impaired response. Positive PRx has been shown to correlate with poorer outcome in individuals with TBI, but these findings have not been confirmed by replication in other studies, nor have PRx values been reported for individuals with cerebrovascular pathology. In this study, PRx was determined in 52 patients with TBI (n = 27) or cerebrovascular pathology (n = 25). Hierarchical linear regression was used to evaluate the contribution of PRx to outcome, controlling for age and Glasgow Coma Scale score. Analysis of all subjects together did not support the previously reported relationship between PRx and outcome. However, for those with TBI, positive PRx was a significant predictor of negative outcome (P = 0.03). For those with cerebrovascular pathology, the effect was not significant (P = 0.10) and was in the opposite direction. For individuals with TBI, PRx may provide useful information related to cerebral autoregulation that is predictive of outcome. The meaning of PRx in individuals with cerebrovascular pathology is unclear, and further study is needed to examine the paradoxical findings observed.

Assessment of intracranial adaptive capacity is vital in critically ill individuals with acute brain injury because there is the potential that nursing care activities and environmental stimuli to result in clinically significant increases in intracranial pressure (ICP) in a subset of individuals with decreased intracranial adaptive capacity. ICP waveform analysis provides information about intracranial dynamics that can help identify individuals who have decreased adaptive capacity and are at risk for increases in ICP and decreases in cerebral perfusion pressure, which may contribute to secondary brain injury and have a negative impact on neurologic outcome. The ability to identify high-risk individuals allows nurses to initiate interventions targeted at decreasing adaptive demand or increasing adaptive capacity in these individuals. Changes in the ICP waveform occur under various physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions and may provide valuable information about intracranial adaptive capacity. Simple visual assessment of the ICP waveform for increased amplitude and P2 elevation is clinically relevant and has been found to provide a rough indicator of decreased adaptive capacity. Advanced ICP waveform analysis techniques warrant further study as a means of dynamically assessing intracranial adaptive capacity.