After extensive literature reviews into rehabilitation guidelines for adults with disorders of consciousness due to severe acquired brain injuries and sensory stimulation, the full multidisciplinary team identified best practice in each sensory modality to develop a cohesive and personally relevant multisensory stimulation program. Sensory Training for Arousal Recovery by a Transdisciplinary Team (STARTT) involves collaboration with the patient's family to identify salient memories and provide a recorded memory narrative by a familiar voice. The team identifies appropriate and significant sensory stimulation and prescribes a personalised program. The program was trialled with three patients who all emerged from minimally conscious state and transitioned to standard rehabilitation. The program now forms part of standard care for this patient group.
Sensory training for arousal recovery by a transdisciplinary team for people with severe brain injury
Initiative Type
Model of Care
Status
Deliver
Added
Last updated
Summary
Key dates
Feb 2018
Sep 2019
Implementation sites
Brighton Brain Injury Service
Aim
- to identify and implement best practice rehabilitation practices for adults with disorders of consciousness due to severe acquired brain injury
- to promote arousal and functional recovery, decrease the burden of care and increase quality of life for adults with severe acquired brain injury
Benefits
- patients emerged from their disorder of consciousness
- patients made functional gains, particularly in the areas of cognition and communication
- improvements in patient engagement in therapy
- improvements in collaborative practice with families and their involvement in patient care
Background
The brain injury multidisciplinary team creates personally relevant multisensory stimulation program for patients. Collaboration with family and friends identifies salient memories to create a recorded memory narrated by a familiar voice.