Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in infants is detrimental to their development and can result in death; despite these risks, limited research has been conducted for this population. This studies purpose was to quantify biomechanical properties and microstructural changes after compressive and tensile loading of infant human brain surrogate, fetal porcine brain. Samples were loaded independently at strain rates of 0.00625s-1, 0.025s-1, and 0.10s-1 at strain levels of 0%, 15%, 30%, and 45% using the Mach-1TM Micromechanical Testing Device. After loading to the specified strain level, samples were chemically fixed using 10% formalin. Samples were then stained using H&E to evaluate the microstructure. Results showed strain rate dependency and non-linearity with higher stress levels in compression than in tension. The histological analysis confirmed microstructural changes with statistically relevant deformations after loading. These results can assist in understanding infant TBI and help develop accurate head computational models and optimal protective headgear.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a growing concern among American citizens and globally. This study proposes the use of a novel mechanical testing method for interrupting adult porcine brain tissue while under varying levels of high rate compressive strain to better understand the mechanical response of brain while under TBI inducing conditions. Testing was performed using a polymeric Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) along with customized attachments developed in-house to interrupt tissue samples at strain levels of 15%, 30%, and 40% while being compressed at strain rates of 650, 800, and 900 s-1. Following interruption, the samples were chemically fixed in preparation for histological processing. Microscopy techniques were used to examine the microstructure of the deformed tissue samples and measure the area fraction of their neural constituents. The combination of both the mechanical and microstructural responses of the brain tissue allowed for the development of a structure-property relationship.

A finite element model was developed for a range of human head-sUAS impacts to provide multiple case scenarios of impact severity at two response regions of interest: global and local. The hypothesis was that for certain impact scenarios, local response injuries of the brain (frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal lobes, and cerebellum) have a higher severity level compared to global response injury, the response at the Center of Gravity (CG) of the head. This study is the first one to predict and quantify the influence of impact parameters such as impact velocity, location, offset, and angle of impact to severity of injury. The findings show that an sUAS has the potential of causing minimal harm under certain impact scenarios, while other scenarios cause fatal injuries. Additionally, results indicate that the human head’s global response as a less viable response region of interest when measuring injury severity for clinical diagnosis. It is hoped that the results from this research can be useful to assist decision making for treatments and may offer different perspectives in sUAS designs or operation environments.

Animal-Assisted Green Care Farming for Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury Purpose To examine the effects of Animal Assisted Therapies with Farm Animals (AATF) with domesticated ducks on depression and anxiety. Aim The proposed study will use single-group time series design and collect survey data to explore the changes in anxiety and depression in patients exposed to AATF. The study will be guided by the Self-Efficacy Theory. The study will involve 30 patients with TBI living in The Crumley House Rehabilitation Center in Limestone, TN. Hypothesis. Engaging in AATF with domesticated ducks will be associated with decrease in anxiety and depression. Approach - Theoretical Framework. Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory will be used to guide this study examining AATF effects on anxiety and depression in patients with TBI. Salutogenesis, Social Support, and Self-Efficacy theories were compared in order to select the best theoretical framework for this study. Methods Time series Quasi-experimental design. The study will examine the effects of AATF on anxiety and depression among patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Because of the unique characteristics of the patient population (all patients have history of TBI) in this facility no other rehabilitation center can be utilized for comparison. Time series design will ensure that all of the participants will be exposed to the therapeutic intervention, it will not be affected by the conventional treatments the participants are receiving. Projected Results and Anticipated Limitations It is expected that AATF will be effective in reduction of Anxiety and Depression symptoms in the patient with TBI Limitations • Possibility of dropouts may compromise sample size and lead to lower statistical power. • AATF based intervention is impossible to conduct in blinded environment. That in turn may contribute to participant’s expectation of positive outcomes of the interventions in this study. This may be considered an example of subject bias. • AATF treatment cannot be completely standardized. Because the treatment is based on interaction with live animals, animal behavior may be different during each visit to the duck pen. Because of that there is a possibility that the study cannot be exactly replicated. • The participants may have different duration or complexity of treatments for anxiety and depression. This may present a confounding factor that we are not able to control in this study. Conclusion This is a pilot study to examine the effects of AATF with domesticated ducks. This study may serve as a basis in developing more research on this topic with expanding the methodology and sampling in the future.

Bakgrund: Agenda 2030 har som delmål 3.4 en strävan att främja hälsoarbetet och välmåendet för alla oavsett ålder eller förutsättningar. År 2020 gjordes en enkät där endast 66% nådde upp till WHO’s rekommendationer av fysisk aktivitet. Rekommendationerna gäller även personer med en funktionsvariation. TBI är en av den vanligaste neurologiska funktionsvariationen, där fysioterapeuterna som jobbar med fysisk aktivitet under rehabiliteringen har en viktig roll. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur fysioterapeuter inom rehabilitering för personer med TBI använder fysisk aktivitet samt hur arbetet fungerar i hänsyn till de förutsättningar som finns för personalen. Metod: Studien genomfördes med semi- strukturerade intervjuer via digitala mötesrum, där tre kvinnliga fysioterapeuter intervjuades. Sedan gjordes det en summativ innehållsanalys av den insamlade datan. Resultat: Fysisk aktivitet under rehabiliteringen användes med fokus på att patienterna skulle återfå vardagsfunktion. Personalen ansåg att förutsättningarna till att kunna använda fysisk aktivitet var bra, men att det fanns brist på personal och utrustning. Slutsats: Slutsatsen är att fysisk aktivitet inom rehabilitering för personer med TBI individanpassas och används med fokus på att återfå vardagsfunktion, men att de fysiska resurserna utifrån de förutsättningar som fanns för dessa fysioterpeuterna var begränsade.

Att drabbas av traumatisk hjärnskada (Traumatic Brain Injury; TBI) innebär att hjärnan utsättas för ett yttre våld som kan orsaka kortvariga samt långvariga funktionsnedsättningar. Det kan medföra livsförsändningar både för den drabbade och för de närstående. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att beskriva upplevelsen av att vara närstående till en person med traumatisk hjärnskada. Studien utfördes i form av en litteraturstudie med kvalitativ innehållsanalys som analyserades med manifest ansats där människors upplevelse och erfarenheter var i fokus. I studien inkluderades 13 vetenskapliga artiklar. Under analysprocessen av valda artiklar identifierades sex slutkategorier; Ta ansvar och ge upp sina egna behov, Få förändrade och nya roller, Brist på information från hälso-och sjukvården, Vara psykiskt belastad, känsla av ensamhet och isolering; Förlust av relationer. Resultatet visade att närstående upplevde olika svårigheter relaterade till att leva med en person med traumatisk hjärnskada. Att vara närstående till en person med traumatisk hjärnskada kan skapa ekonomiska, sociala, psykiska, känslomässiga och sexuella konsekvenser vilket medför stora förändringar i sociala roller och relationer. Sjuksköterskor behöver kunskap om hur det är att vara närstående till personer med traumatisk hjärnskada samt ha en förståelse för deras upplevelse för att kunna bemöta dem på ett adekvat sätt. Sjuksköterskans kunskap och förståelse kan förbättra närståendes upplevelse av sjukvården samt att de får stöd i sin situation.

Clinical Researchers recently identified NFL players and US military veterans as high-risk populations for sustaining repetitive Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and developing the neurodegenerative disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). American culture celebrates military veterans as national heroes, and NFL players as popular athletes and social icons. Both subcultures are constructed around hyper-masculine ideals embedded in tenants of violence and aggression, suffer repeated TBIs due to this nature, and are ultimately at high-risk for developing CTE. The TBI/CTE phenomenon also affects family members who assume care-taking responsibilities for these first two populations as their loved one’s symptoms persist. The purpose of this research is to understand the TBI/CTE experiences of NFL players, military veterans, and their caretakers, and how all three populations intersect with mediatization and the social and medical legitimation of TBI/CTE in America. Using narratives from all three populations, I explore how power dynamics within the NFL and US military have intersected with modern media outlets and functioned to socio-medically legitimize a sick role for those who suffer from persistent symptoms of TBI and CTE.

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