Functioning and disability 6-15 years after traumatic brain injuries in northern Sweden

Objectives - To assess long-term functioning and disability after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Material and methods - Individuals (n = 88) in Norrbotten, northern Sweden, who had been transferred for neurosurgical care were assessed with internationally established TBI outcome measures 6-15 years p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
Main Authors: Jacobsson, L. J., Westerberg, M., Soderberg, S., Lexell, Jan
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2009
Subjects:
Neurology
function
recovery of
outcome
disability evaluation
Glasgow Outcome Scale
traumatic brain injury
questionnaires
Northern Sweden
Norrbotten
Online Access:https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1519694
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0404.2009.01238.x
Description
Summary:Objectives - To assess long-term functioning and disability after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Material and methods - Individuals (n = 88) in Norrbotten, northern Sweden, who had been transferred for neurosurgical care were assessed with internationally established TBI outcome measures 6-15 years post-injury. Results - There was an improvement in overall outcome from discharge from inpatient rehabilitation to follow-up. Many individuals had a high degree of motor and cognitive functioning, which enabled them to live independently in their own home without assistance, but there remained a disability related to community reintegration and social participation. This affected their productivity and to some degree their marital stability. The remaining disability and reduced productivity were related to the age at injury and the injury severity. Conclusions Our data showed that individuals with a TBI can achieve and maintain a high degree of functioning many years after the injury. Increasing age and a greater injury severity contributed to their long-term disability.

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