Real-world environmental enrichment rehabilitation paradigm in people with severe traumatic brain injury: a pilot feasibility study

ABSTRACT

Background

The use of Environmental Enrichment (EE) has been widely studied in animal models. However, the application of the same in humans is limited to rehabilitation settings.

Objective

To investigate the feasibility of a community-based EE paradigm in adults with brain injury.

Methods

Six individuals diagnosed with traumatic brain injury enrolled in the study. The Go Baby Go Café instrumented with a body weight harness system, provided physical and social enrichment as participants performed functional tasks for 2 hours, three times a week, for 2 months. Feasibility and safety outcomes were recorded throughout sessions. Clinical measures including 10-meter walk, timed up and go, jebsen hand function, 6-minute walk, and trail making tests were obtained pre and post intervention.

Results

All participants completed the study. The attendance was 100% and adherence was 87%. Positive changes in clinical measures were statistically significant for the timed up and go (p = 0.0175), TUG-cognitive (p = 0.0064), 10-meter walk (p = 0.0428), six-minute walk (p = 0.0196), TMT-A (p = 0.034). Changes in JHFT were not significant (p = 0.0506), with one subject recording values counter to the trend.

Conclusion

The Café was a comprehensive EE-based intervention that was feasible, safe, and has the potential to enhance motor and cognitive function in individuals with brain injury.

KEYWORDS:

• Environmental enrichment
• traumatic brain injury
• community rehabilitation
• go baby go café
• harness

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the participants for their time. We also thank Dr. Reisman, Dr. Tulsky and Jennifer Buckley (University of Delaware), and Dr. Long (Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital) for their valuable feedback on the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).