title: Outpatient rehabilitation of patients with chronic cognitive impairments after ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysms reduces the burden of care: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the functional outcome of 19 patients with anterior communicating artery aneurysm following the completion of an inter-disciplinary out-patient rehabilitation programme.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-based inter-disciplinary outpatient programme.
  
  
  METHODS
  n = 19; consecutive referred sample, mean 182 days post-onset; in-patient rehabilitation completed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inter-disciplinary treatment of functional activities; 2-5 hours/day, 3-5 days/week; mean duration: 55-57 days.
  
  
  METHODS
  Supervision rating scale (SRS) and change in prevalence at admission and discharge of executive impairments, memory, confabulation, apathy, initiation, social inappropriateness and incontinence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty per cent of the patients showed a clinically significant improvement in their SRS from requiring full-time supervision to part-time supervision. Change in SRS was correlated with change in the impairments of executive function, memory and confabulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although pervasive impairments associated with this disorder may limit capacity for even moderate independence, substantial reduction in direct supervision by family members may be achieved.
authors.affiliation: Community Rehab Care, Inc., Newton, MA 02458, USA. vmills1388@aol.com
authors.forename: Virginia M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karas
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Alexander
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000451:nursing / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome