Search

Aims: Based on important predictors, global functional outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI) may vary significantly over time. This study sought to: (1) describe changes in the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE) score in survivors of moderate to severe TBI, (2) examine longitudinal GOSE trajectories up to 10 years after injury, and (3) investigate predictors of these trajectories based on socio-demographic and injury characteristics. Methods: Socio-demographic and injury characteristics of 97 TBI survivors aged 16-55 years were recorded at baseline. GOSE was used as a measure of TBI-related global outcome and assessed at 1-, 2-, 5-, and 10-year follow-ups. Hierarchical linear models were used to examine global outcomes over time and whether those outcomes could be predicted by: time, time * time, sex, age, partner relationship status, education, employment pre-injury, occupation, cause of injury, acute Glasgow Coma Scale score, length of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA), CT findings, and Injury Severity Score (ISS), as well as the interactions between each of the significant predictors and time * time. Results: Between 5- and 10-year follow-ups, 37% had deteriorated, 7% had improved, and 56% showed no change in global outcome. Better GOSE trajectories were predicted by male gender ( p = 0.013), younger age ( p = 0.012), employment at admission ( p = 0.012), white collar occupation ( p = 0.014), and shorter PTA length ( p = 0.001). The time * time * occupation type interaction effect ( p = 0.001) identified different trajectory slopes between survivors in white and blue collar occupations. The time * time * PTA interaction effect ( p = 0.023) identified a more marked increase and subsequent decrease in functional level among survivors with longer PTA duration. Conclusion: A larger proportion of survivors experienced deterioration in GOSE scores over time, supporting the concept of TBI as a chronic health condition. Younger age, pre-injury employment, and shorter PTA duration are important prognostic factors for better long-term global outcomes, supporting the existing literature, whereas male gender and white collar occupation are vaguer as prognostic factors. This information suggests that more intensive and tailored rehabilitation programs may be required to counteract a negative global outcome development in survivors with predicted worse outcome and to meet their long-term changing needs.

Background: After severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) it is recommended that patients in need of rehabilitation be transferred directly from acute care to specialized rehabilitation. However, recent European cohort studies found a variety of care pathways and delays in admission to rehabilitation after severe TBI., Aim: To study the pathways within rehabilitation services in a Norwegian national cohort with severe TBI and the association to functional independence 12 months post-injury., Design: Observational prospective multicenter study., Setting: Regional trauma centers., Population: A total of 163 adults, age 16-85 years, with severe TBI., Methods: The main variables were transfer between acute care and rehabilitation, type of rehabilitation services and functional independence., Results: 75% of the patients had specialized TBI rehabilitation, 11% non-specialized and 14% no in-patient rehabilitation. In total, 48% were transferred directly to specialized rehabilitation from acute units in regional trauma centers. There were no differences in injury severity between patients transferred directly and non-directly, but the direct-transfer patients were younger. At 12 months post-injury, 71% were functionally independent and 90% lived in their home. Younger age, fewer days of ventilation and shorter post-traumatic amnesia were associated with independence. Among patients treated with specialized rehabilitation, direct transfer to rehabilitation was associated with functional independence (OR=4.3, P<0.01)., Conclusions: A direct clinical pathway including specialized rehabilitation in dedicated units was associated with functional independence., Clinical Rehabilitation Impact: Direct pathways from acute care to sub-acute specialized rehabilitation might prove beneficial to functional status.

Purpose: To quantify traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients' perceptions of own function by the Patient Competency Rating Scale (PCRS) one year after injury, and to examine self-awareness of functional deficits by comparing PCRS ratings from patients (PCRS-P) and PCRS ratings from near relatives (PCRS-R), and to identify predictors of awareness deficits., Method: A cohort of 50 severe (n = 33) and moderate (n = 17) TBI patients. Awareness of deficits was investigated by subtracting PCRS relative ratings from PCRS patient ratings. Predictors of PCRS ratings and differences were assessed by stepwise multiple regression analyses., Results: The average patient PCRS sum score was 122/150 (95% CI = 115; 129) as compared to a sum score of 117/150 (95% CI = 110; 125), given by their relatives (p = 0.93). The patients scored themselves slightly higher than their relatives in the domains of activities of daily living (ADL) and cognitive function (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). Regression analyses showed that Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)score at admission to rehabilitation was the strongest predictor of patient PCRS (B = 3.314, p = 0.008). The strongest predictor of differences between patient and relative PCRS was GCS acute (B = -3.530, p = 0.001)., Conclusions: TBI patients demonstrated a slight "awareness gap" in ADL and cognitive function. Low GCS in the acute phase and high age were the strongest predictors of self- awareness deficits.