How premorbid personality relates to recovery after stroke or severe brain injury
Neuropsychology and Personality: Personality Traits as a Variable in the Recovery of Patients With Acquired Brain Injury
This research will see if a person's premorbid personality affects how well adults regain thinking, movement, daily functioning, and social participation after a stroke or severe acquired brain injury.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 250 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 80 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Universita di Verona Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Verona, VR) |
| Trial ID | NCT07119827 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a prospective observational study that follows patients admitted for rehabilitation after stroke or severe acquired brain injury to track recovery over time. Participants receive standardized cognitive, motor, psychological, behavioral, personality, and disability assessments at admission (T0), at discharge (T1), and again at 12 months for stroke or 18 months for sABI (T2). Inclusion requires specific post-event time windows (3–30 days for stroke, 7–90 days for sABI), a Level of Cognitive Functioning score ≥6 for sABI patients, and a caregiver able to help complete premorbid personality questionnaires. The study compares short- and long-term global cognitive recovery, autonomy, motor skills, psycho-behavioral functioning, and social participation by premorbid personality profiles.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke (3–30 days post-event, GCS ≥8) or with severe acquired brain injury (7–90 days post-event, LCF ≥6) who can provide consent and have a caregiver to assist with premorbid personality information are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients who are too early or too late relative to the enrollment windows, have LCF <6, lack a caregiver to provide premorbid personality information, or cannot complete the required assessments are unlikely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help clinicians tailor rehabilitation plans to individual personality profiles to improve cognitive, motor, and social recovery.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research on personality and neurological recovery is limited and mixed, with some studies suggesting personality traits influence outcomes but no definitive, widely adopted findings yet.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * diagnosis of one of the following two conditions: * Severe Acquired Brain Injury (sABI) of traumatic or non-traumatic etiology; the term sABI includes acute brain injuries of traumatic or non-traumatic origin (vascular, infectious, metabolic, or anoxic), in which the patient initially presents with a coma state (Glasgow Coma Scale - GCS less than 8) and simultaneously exhibits motor, sensory, cognitive, and/or behavioral impairments. * Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke without features of Severe Acquired Brain Injury (sABI) (Glasgow Coma Scale \[GCS\] score ≥ 8 and no alteration of consciousness). * Time from injury between: * 7 and 90 days for Severe Acquired Brain Injury (sABI) patients * 3 and 30 days for stroke patients * Level of Cognitive Functioning (LCF) score ≥ 6 for sABI patients * Signed informed consent for study participation * Presence of a support family member (caregiver) able to assist with completing the personality questionnaire (HEXACO Adjective Scale, HAS) Exclusion Criteria: * Pre-existing neurological pathology * Severe aphasia or severe inattention that precludes administration of the tests required by the protocol, as identified during cognitive screening. * Patients with a language barrier due to insufficient proficiency in Italian. * Particularly vulnerable populations: The following patients will be excluded from the study: patients in emergency situations.
Where this trial is running
Verona, VR
- Sezione medicina fisica e riabilitativa dipartimento di neuroscienze, verona — Verona, Vr, Italy (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Valentina Varalta
- Email: valentina.varalta@univr.it
- Phone: 0458124956
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.