Long-term outcome after traumatic brain injury : studies of individuals from northern Sweden

• Main Author: Jacobsson, Lars
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Luleå tekniska universitet, Medicinsk vetenskap 2010
• Subjects: Other Health Sciences; Annan hälsovetenskap; Northern Sweden; Norrbotten
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-26331

As traumatic brain injury (TBI) is as one of the major causes of long-term disability, there is an increasing interest in the long-term outcome of TBI. The overall aim of this thesis was to increase our knowledge and understanding of the situation for individuals many years post injury, with regard to demographics, injury characteristics and primary outcome, long-term functioning and disability, health-related quality of life, life satisfaction, self-appraisal of the impact of the TBI and sense of coherence.In study I, data was retrospectively collected on those individuals in Norrbotten, northern Sweden, with a computed tomography (CT) verified TBI and brain injury symptoms, who had been transferred for neurosurgical care between 1992 to 2001. A total of 332 individuals, 250 men and 82 women, were registered. The findings revealed that a majority were older men with a mild TBI following a fall. Younger individuals were fewer in number but more often had a severe TBI from a traffic accident. Most individuals received post-acute care and brain injury rehabilitation. A majority had a moderate or severe disability, but many were discharged back from hospital and sent home with no major changes in their physical or social environment. In study II, 88 individuals (age between 18 and 65 at the time of assessment, to represent individuals of working age) were included and their functioning and disability were assessed with internationally established TBI outcome measures, on average 10 years (range 6-15 years) post injury. There was an improvement in overall outcomes from the time of discharge from inpatient rehabilitation to follow-up, and many had a high degree of motor and cognitive functioning, which enabled them to live independently in their own home without assistance. There remained, however, a disability related to community reintegration and social participation. This affected their productivity and to some degree their marital stability, factors which were related to the age at the time of injury and the ...