%0 Journal Article
%T Decision-Making and Management of Self-Care in Persons with Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries: A Preliminary Study
%A Paul E. Plonski
%A Jasmin Vassileva
%A Ryan Shahidi
%A Paul B. Perrin
%A William Carter
%A Lance L. Goetz
%A Amber Brochetti
%A James M. Bjork
%J Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science
%P 47-63
%@ 2160-5874
%D 2024
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/jbbs.2024.142005
%X Patients and physicians understand the importance of self-care following spinal cord injury (SCI), yet many individuals with SCI do not adhere to recommended self-care activities despite logistical supports. Neurobehavioral determinants of SCI self-care behavior, such as impulsivity, are not widely studied, yet understanding them could inform efforts to improve SCI self-care. We explored associations between impulsivity and self-care in an observational study of 35 US adults age 18 - 50 who had traumatic SCI with paraplegia at least six months before assessment. The primary outcome measure was self-reported self-care. In LASSO regression models that included all neurobehavioral measures and demographics as predictors of self-care, dispositional measures of greater impulsivity (negative urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance), and reduced mindfulness were associated with reduced self-care. Outcome (magnitude) sensitivity, a latent decision-making parameter derived from computationally modeling successive choices in a gambling task, was also associated with self-care behavior. These results are preliminary; more research is needed to demonstrate the utility of these findings in clinical settings. Information about associations between impulsivity and poor self-care in people with SCI could guide the development of interventions to improve SCI self-care and help patients with elevated risks related to self-care and secondary health conditions.
%K Spinal Cord Injury
%K Self-Care
%K Decision-Making
%K Paraplegia
%K Impulsive Behavior
%K Health Care
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=131075