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J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2009;80:781-783 doi:10.1136/jnnp.2008.162966
  • Research paper

Alleviation of carer strain during the use of the NeuroPage device by people with acquired brain injury

  1. Thomas W Teasdale1,
  2. Hazel Emslie2,
  3. Kirsten Quirk3,
  4. Jonathan Evans3,4,
  5. Jessica Fish2,
  6. Barbara A Wilson2,3
  1. 1
    Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
  2. 2
    Medical Research Council Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK
  3. 3
    Oliver Zangwill Centre, The Princess of Wales Hospital, Ely, UK
  4. 4
    Section of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Glasgow, UK
  1. Professor B A Wilson, Senior Scientist, Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK; barbara.wilson{at}mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk
  • Received 15 September 2008
  • Revised 23 January 2009
  • Accepted 27 January 2009
  • Published Online First 25 February 2009

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of a paging system, NeuroPage (Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust Corporation, Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire, UK), in compensating for memory and planning dysfunctions in people with acquired brain injury (ABI; mainly stroke or traumatic brain injury). In this study, the degree to which this efficacy is accompanied by a reduced experience of strain among carers of patients with ABI was investigated.

Methods: Carers of 99 people with ABI completed a questionnaire concerning strain resulting from caring for the injured individual. The questionnaire was completed at the following three time points: before the use of NeuroPage, at the end of a 7-week period of use, and, for one subgroup, a further 7 weeks after withdrawal of NeuroPage.

Results: There were significant reductions in strain reported by carers following the 7-week period of NeuroPage use (Cohen’s d = 0.3–0.4). This finding persisted when the carer was a spouse or a parent. The reduced strain among carers continued even after withdrawal of NeuroPage.

Conclusion: The efficacy of the NeuroPage paging system for people with ABI appears to result in reduced strain for their carers.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None.

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