• Maria Sandhaug, Nada Andelic, Anita Vatne, Stephen Seiler, and Aase Mygland.
• Faculty of Health and Sports, Agder University, Kristiansand, Norway. maria.sandhaug@uia.no
• Brain Inj. 2010 Jan 1;24(5):740-7.

ObjectivesTo describe the functional level during sub-acute rehabilitation after moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to evaluate the impact of pre-injury and injury-related factors as predictors of early recovery.Material And MethodsA prospective study of 55 patients with moderate (n = 21) and severe (n = 34) TBI who received specialized, inpatient rehabilitation. Functional level was assessed by the FIM. Possible predictors were analysed in a regression model using FIM total score at discharge as outcome.ResultsAt discharge from sub-acute rehabilitation, on average 53 (+/-24) days post-injury, 57% of moderate TBI patients and 91% of severe TBI patients were still disabled with a FIM score < 126. The disability was mild (FIM 109-126) in 95% with moderate TBI and in 62% with severe TBI. The disability was severe (FIM < 72) in 24% with severe TBI. Only one patient did not improve. Predictors of functional level at discharge from rehabilitation were Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at rehabilitation admission (B = 5.991), FIM total score at rehabilitation admission (B = 0.393), length of stay (LOS) in the rehabilitation unit (B = 0.264) and length of Post-Traumatic Amnesia (PTA) (B = -0.120). Together, these predictors explained 86% of variance of FIM total scores at discharge.ConclusionLess than half of moderate TBI patients reached a normal functional level at discharge from sub-acute rehabilitation. A short PTA period, a high GCS score and FIM score at admission to rehabilitation and a longer stay in the rehabilitation unit were positive predictors of functional level at discharge.

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