Functional outcome following rehabilitation in chronic severe traumatic brain injury patients: A prospective study

• Published in: Annals of the Indian Academy of Neurology 2012-04, Vol.15 (2), p.120-124
• Main Authors: Gupta, Anupam, Taly, Arun B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brain; Brain damage; Clinical outcomes; Functional outcome; Health aspects; Injuries; inpatient rehabilitation; Original; Rehabilitation; severe traumatic brain injury
• ISSN: 0972-2327; 1998-3549
• DOI: 10.4103/0972-2327.94995

The objective was to assess functional outcome of rehabilitation in chronic severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in-patients. The study was performed at university tertiary research hospital. A prospective cross-sectional study Forty patients (34 men) with mean age of 30.1 years (range 6--60, SD 10.8), severe TBI (Glasgow coma scale 3--8, duration of coma > 6 hours, post-traumatic amnesia> 1 day postinjury) were admitted in rehabilitation unit minimum 3 months (mean 7.7±4.6 months, range 3--22 months) following injury falling in Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) of 3. Functional recovery was assessed using the Barthel Index (BI) score and disability rating scores (DRS). Paired Student's t-test was used for the assessment of functional recovery using mean BI scores at admission and discharge. The Wilcoxon nonparametric test was used for the assessment of functional recovery by comparing admission and discharge DRS scores. Mean duration of stay was 30.8 days (range 18--91, SD15.6). Significant functional recovery observed in patients comparing BI and DRS scores at admission and discharge (mean BI admission 50.5±25.4, range 0--85 vs. mean discharge BI score 61.1±25.3, range 0--95, P