Cognitive Recovery and its Correlation with Functional Status One Year After Traumatic Brain Injury

Objectives: To examine the impact of multi faceted rehabilitation services on functional outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI) for individuals with moderate and severe TBI. Design: Cohort, non-randomized, interventional study, pre-test, post-test design. Setting: Community integrated post acute rehabilitation centre. Main outcome measures: Galvenston Orientation and Amnesia Test (GOAT), Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Glasgow outcome scale extended (GOSE). Results: Mean change in MMSE scores from admission to twelve months was 23.48 in moderate injury group and 21.26 in severe injury group. This change was significant in both the severity groups. Mean change in GOAT scores from admission to twelve months was 74.85 in moderate injury group and 70.71 in the severe injury group which also was significant. Predictors such as Length of stay (LOS) in acute care (B=-0.913), GCS at the time of acute admission (B=0.402), FIM at the time of discharge (B=.241), injury severity (B=0.221) and LOS in rehabilitation (B=0.168) explained 85.7% of the variation in the value of FIM at 12 months after injury. Conclusion: Impairment of cognitive function and its socio-economic impact is vast such that it affects the socio economic status of a community and country as a whole. Cognitive rehabilitation remains central to the management of persons with TBI.