The Latest Issue of NeuroRehabilitation Focuses on the Important Role of Neuropsychiatry in Evaluating and Managing the Emotional and Behavioral Consequences of Neurological Injury

The themed issue was curated and guest edited by Matthew E. Peters, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Lindsey J. Gurin, MD, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Davin K. Quinn, MD, University of New Mexico, and Durga Roy, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Few medical specialties have undergone as much substantive growth in as short a period of time as neurorehabilitation. With rapid advances in neurocritical care and an aging global population, the number of individuals living with chronic consequences of neurological injury or disease has grown substantially in recent years. At the same time, modern neuroscience techniques have shed increasing light on the structure, function, and remarkable resilience of the human nervous system.

"Like the nervous system itself, the field of neurorehabilitation derives strength from its flexibility, with a fundamentally adaptive approach capable of translating the constantly evolving world of neuroscientific knowledge into practical strategies for each unique patient," says Guest Editor Matthew E. Peters, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Guest Editor Lindsey J. Gurin, MD, Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Rehabilitation Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, continues: "Neurorehabilitation is a complex process, necessitating a multidisciplinary, individualized, and holistic approach to patient care in which the focus is often on decreasing the impact of symptoms rather than alleviating them completely. This transition — from the possibility of cure to that of managing and accepting a new way of living in the world — can be a major juncture in a patient’s medical journey." 

This thematic issue of NeuroRehabilitation highlights the evaluation and management of the emotional and behavioral consequences of neurological injury, collectively referred to as NPS. Identifying and treating these symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, apathy, and agitation, are crucial components of the rehabilitation process. NPS must be properly identified and managed; this often requires collaboration across disciplines, according to the experts contributing their knowledge to this issue. 

In addition, virtual care has taken a generational leap forward in the last few years and has the potential to give even the most remote patients and their providers access to quality specialists with those most sought after specialties able to cover multiple remote locations at once.

Apart from the multidisciplinary care required for patients in need of neurorehabilitation or neuropsychiatric care, they often exhibit complex symptom constellations that do not neatly fit into a single diagnostic category. 

Guest Editor Davin K. Quinn, MD, Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, comments, "The brain’s ability to manifest such a wide and diverse array of symptoms is part of what makes formulating a rehabilitative treatment plan so rewarding. With ongoing advances in rehabilitative options, functional neurological disorders are a poignant example of the complexity of cases seen by neurorehabilitation and neuropsychiatric specialists."

Guest Editor Durga Roy, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, concludes: "The complexity of the syndromes necessitates multi-disciplinary teams that think critically and creatively about treatment. Treatment of NPS should be viewed as an essential component of neurorehabilitation and given the potential for these symptoms to be overlooked, they often must be actively screened for. Luckily, providers in neurorehabilitation and neuropsychiatry have a shared optimism about meaningful quality of life being possible and worth aiming for in every patient, regardless of neurologic insult."

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NOTES FOR EDITORS
Thematic Issue: Neuropsychiatric Aspects of Neurorehabilitation
NeuroRehabilitation, Volume 53 Issue 2 (September 2023), published by IOS Press.

Guest Editors:
Matthew E. Peters, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Lindsey J. Gurin, MD, Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Rehabilitation Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Davin K. Quinn, MD, Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico
Durga Roy, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

The issue is available online at https://content.iospress.com/journals/neurorehabilitation/53/2. 

Full text is available to journalists upon request. Contact Diana Murray, IOS Press, at +1 718-640-5678 or d.murray@iospress.com for additional information. Journalists who wish to interview the Guest Editors or authors should contact Matthew E. Peters, MD, at +1 443-478-3569 or matthew.peters@jhmi.edu. 

ABOUT NEUROREHABILITATION 
NeuroRehabilitation: An Interdisciplinary Journal is an international journal that emphasizes publication of scientifically based practical information relevant to all aspects of neurologic rehabilitation. Founded in 1991, NeuroRehabilitation features peer-reviewed articles that are interdisciplinary in nature and cover the full life span and range of neurological disabilities including stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, neuromuscular disease, and other neurological disorders. Information is intended for an interdisciplinary audience. Issues of the journal are thematically organized. Themes have focused on specific clinical disorders, types of therapy, and age groups. www.iospress.com/neurorehabilitation

ABOUT IOS PRESS
IOS Press is an independent international scientific, technical, medical (STM) publishing house established in 1987 in Amsterdam. We produce around 90 journals and 70 books annually in a broad range of subject categories, primarily specializing in health and life sciences (including neurosciences, medical informatics, cancer research, and rehabilitation) and computer sciences (including artificial intelligence, data science, and semantic web). In addition, we offer specialized services that support scientific advancement. www.iospress.com