About this Research Topic
Alcohol-Related Brain Injury (ARBI) is an umbrella term used to describe the damage to the brain because of long-term heavy drinking. The symptoms of ARBI vary, including problems with cognitive functioning such as memory loss, difficulty with familiar tasks and processing new information, depression, irritability, erratic behavior, concentration problems, and poor decision-making. Alongside cognitive problems, individuals with ARBI may experience physical illnesses which include liver damage, heart problems, high blood pressure, and malnutrition. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and many of these symptoms can improve if the person is diagnosed in time and appropriate treatment is provided. Around 75% of individuals with ARBI who receive the appropriate treatment do make some recovery with 25% making a complete recovery. However, since ARBI comprises a variety of conditions caused by heavy drinking, different treatment approaches have been found to help different people. It is therefore crucial that patients are assessed individually by a multidisciplinary team of professionals and that a tailored approach is provided to meet the person’s specific needs.
Current literature has addressed interventions focusing on neurorehabilitation of cognitive impairment relating to ARBI, service models or approaches for generating advances in service development for this population, and documented the efficacy of phased rehabilitation programs in a community setting that has resulted in a significant reduction in ARBI-related hospital admissions. However, the evidence base for rehabilitating ARBI is still in its infancy and to date, only two types of evidence exist regarding the effect of therapeutic intervention: training in specific cognitive domains and generic rehabilitation programs. For instance, there is some evidence that regards the efficacy of long-term care for Korsakoff’s syndrome within a nursing home setting and intensive inpatient neurorehabilitation. Current findings have demonstrated how skills and strategies, learned in the inpatient setting, translate into living well and independently, and how the latter promotes further improvement over long periods post-discharge. However, there is very little evidence as regards the experiences of patients and carers who often have a myriad of corollary problems including homelessness, family dysfunction, contact with the criminal justice system, and poor health. Likewise, there are gaps in public and professional knowledge about ARBI and many patients experience multi-level oppression and stigma as a result of the lack of awareness of the condition.
Considering these points this Research Topic aims to address the following areas:
• Early detection, early intervention, and prevention of ARBI;
• Intervention methods for addressing ARBI (RCTs, quasi-experimental designs, pre-post-test measures)
• Reviews of interventions and models of care;
• Prevalence of ARBI with or without co-occurring morbidities;
• Impact of ARBI on the family and carers;
• Stigma associated with ARBI at personal, community, and structural levels;
• Efficacy of psychosocial and pharmacological interventions – in residential, outpatient, or outreach environments;
• Gender issues in ARBI;
• Issues related to capacity in working with ARBI;
• Policy, guidance, and frameworks for ARBI practice on a regional, national, and international basis;
• ARBI policy and practice analyses;
• Qualitative or survey methodologies to include service users, carers, and workers’ perceptions of ARBI, its symptomology, experiences of service provision, inpatient and outreach care, and stigma.
The collection welcomes submissions from a global perspective that can be applied in all ARBI settings. Submissions of the following article types will be considered for this collection: Brief Research Report, Case Report, Clinical Trial, Conceptual Analysis, Data Report, General Commentary, Hypothesis & Theory, Methods, Mini Review, Opinion, Original Research, Policy Brief, Policy and Practice Reviews, Review, Study Protocol, Systematic Review, Technology, and Code.
Current literature has addressed interventions focusing on neurorehabilitation of cognitive impairment relating to ARBI, service models or approaches for generating advances in service development for this population, and documented the efficacy of phased rehabilitation programs in a community setting that has resulted in a significant reduction in ARBI-related hospital admissions. However, the evidence base for rehabilitating ARBI is still in its infancy and to date, only two types of evidence exist regarding the effect of therapeutic intervention: training in specific cognitive domains and generic rehabilitation programs. For instance, there is some evidence that regards the efficacy of long-term care for Korsakoff’s syndrome within a nursing home setting and intensive inpatient neurorehabilitation. Current findings have demonstrated how skills and strategies, learned in the inpatient setting, translate into living well and independently, and how the latter promotes further improvement over long periods post-discharge. However, there is very little evidence as regards the experiences of patients and carers who often have a myriad of corollary problems including homelessness, family dysfunction, contact with the criminal justice system, and poor health. Likewise, there are gaps in public and professional knowledge about ARBI and many patients experience multi-level oppression and stigma as a result of the lack of awareness of the condition.
Considering these points this Research Topic aims to address the following areas:
• Early detection, early intervention, and prevention of ARBI;
• Intervention methods for addressing ARBI (RCTs, quasi-experimental designs, pre-post-test measures)
• Reviews of interventions and models of care;
• Prevalence of ARBI with or without co-occurring morbidities;
• Impact of ARBI on the family and carers;
• Stigma associated with ARBI at personal, community, and structural levels;
• Efficacy of psychosocial and pharmacological interventions – in residential, outpatient, or outreach environments;
• Gender issues in ARBI;
• Issues related to capacity in working with ARBI;
• Policy, guidance, and frameworks for ARBI practice on a regional, national, and international basis;
• ARBI policy and practice analyses;
• Qualitative or survey methodologies to include service users, carers, and workers’ perceptions of ARBI, its symptomology, experiences of service provision, inpatient and outreach care, and stigma.
The collection welcomes submissions from a global perspective that can be applied in all ARBI settings. Submissions of the following article types will be considered for this collection: Brief Research Report, Case Report, Clinical Trial, Conceptual Analysis, Data Report, General Commentary, Hypothesis & Theory, Methods, Mini Review, Opinion, Original Research, Policy Brief, Policy and Practice Reviews, Review, Study Protocol, Systematic Review, Technology, and Code.
Keywords: alcohol-related brain injury, ARBI, diagnosis, early intervention, prevention, co-occurring morbidities, stigma, policy and practice
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
