Cost-effectiveness of neuropsychological rehabilitation for acquired brain injuries: Update of Stolwyk et al.'s (2019) review

Mauro Mancuso; Ilaria Valentini; Michele Basile; Audrey Bowen; Helena Fordell; Roberta Laurita; Marika C Möller; Lindy J Williams; Pierluigi Zoccolotti

doi:10.1111/jnp.12387

Cost-effectiveness of neuropsychological rehabilitation for acquired brain injuries: Update of Stolwyk et al.'s (2019) review

J Neuropsychol. 2024 Aug 8. doi: 10.1111/jnp.12387. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Mauro Mancuso^{1

2}, Ilaria Valentini³, Michele Basile³, Audrey Bowen⁴, Helena Fordell⁵, Roberta Laurita³, Marika C Möller^{6

7}, Lindy J Williams⁸, Pierluigi Zoccolotti^{2

9}

Affiliations

¹ Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine Unit, NHS-USL South-East Tuscany, Grosseto, Italy.
² Tuscany Rehabilitation Clinic, Montevarchi (AR), Montevarchi, Italy.
³ Alta Scuola di Economia e Management dei Sistemi Sanitari (ALTEMS) - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
⁴ Manchester Centre for Health Psychology and Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
⁵ Department of Clinical Science, Neurosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
⁶ Division of Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁷ Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Danderyd University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁸ Faculty of Health, School of Health Sciences, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
⁹ Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

PMID: 39115030
DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12387

Abstract

Acquired brain injuries (ABI), resulting from stroke or traumatic brain injury, cause a range of neuropsychological impairments and many patients continue to experience neuropsychological deficits years after onset. The increasing average age of the population highlights the importance of effective management strategies for the consequences of ABI. Despite the well-documented impact of rehabilitation interventions, the cost-effectiveness of neuropsychological rehabilitation remains largely unknown. This study conducted a scoping review to update the findings of Stolwyk et al. (Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2021, 31, 316), focusing on the economic evaluations of neuropsychological rehabilitation for individuals with ABI. Following the PIO framework, PRISMA ScR guidelines, and systematic review reporting checklist, the review screened 1027 articles and included eight studies published between 2019 and 2024. The studies encompassed either language rehabilitation or general neuropsychological programs, including neuropsychological interventions. The economic analyses, including two cost-effectiveness, five cost-utility, and one cost-benefit study, mostly adhered to CHEERS guidelines, enhancing the transparency and methodological rigour of their reporting. These studies demonstrated varying degrees of cost-effectiveness for interventions targeting post-stroke language disorders and neuropsychological rehabilitation for ABI, with significant cost savings and health benefits observed, particularly for home-based rehabilitation interventions. The included studies suffered from a short time horizon, limiting the ability to capture the long-term economic impacts and effectiveness of the interventions. Future research should focus on longer-term follow-up data and include broader search strategies to enhance understanding and optimise health care interventions. A comprehensive implementation of these economic analyses is crucial for informing policymakers, enabling them to introduce rehabilitative interventions based on solid evidence.

Keywords: acquired brain injury; cost‐effectiveness; neuropsychology; rehabilitation.

Publication types

Review