After a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), a person’s everyday life can be negatively impacted in various ways, and these changes can persist for months or even years. Many individuals with TBI are unable to resume their usual activities or connect in the same ways they used to with friends and family, leading to poor physical and mental health outcomes. Unfortunately, current rehabilitation approaches have had limited success in addressing these problems.
We are pleased to announce that Amanda Rabinowitz, PhD, has been awarded a grant from the Albert Einstein Society to conduct research that will provide insights into the interplay between activity patterns, social participation, and emotional experiences in individuals with moderate to severe TBI. Findings from this work will help develop more targeted interventions to improve function, community engagement, and emotional well-being after brain injury. Dr. Rabinowitz Associate Director of Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Director of the Institute’s Brain Injury Neuropsychology Laboratory, and a Research Associate Professor in Rehabilitation Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University.
Previous studies have found that social relationships, leisure and work activities, and emotional well-being are often impacted in individuals with moderate to severe TBI. Spending less time engaged in meaningful activities is linked to declines in physical and mental health, including weight gain, social isolation, depression, and development of chronic health conditions in people with TBI. Evidence suggests that if people with TBI can increase their participation in meaningful activities, it could enhance their quality of life and help mitigate adverse health outcomes.
This innovative new study will examine engagement in social and community activities, as well as emotional states, in real time in individuals with and without traumatic brain injury. To do this, Dr. Rabinowitz and her team will use Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), an approach that uses a smartphone application to prompt participants to answer short questions as they navigate their daily lives. Their responses will provide information in real time about their current activity, social setting, and emotional state, which will better capture the dynamic interplay of contextual factors in daily life and avoid reliance on recall.
The study is designed to collect a rich set of data on how individuals with TBI spend their time and how their activities and social interactions influence their emotional well-being. By comparing data from individuals with TBI to those without TBI, the study aims to isolate the unique contributions of TBI to the patterns that are observed.
Results from this study will be critical for designing an intervention to improve participation and reduce homeboundness, sedentary behaviors, mood disorders, and other negative consequences of TBI. By identifying relevant modifiable factors that could be targeted in an intervention, such as activity types and social contexts, this research has the potential to enhance rehabilitation and reduce social isolation, potentially leading to better health outcomes and improved quality of life for individuals with TBI.