The Journal of head trauma rehabilitation
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J Head Trauma Rehabil · Aug 2001
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyLong-term recovery course after traumatic brain injury: a comparison of the functional independence measure and disability rating scale.
To study group changes over time after traumatic brain injury (TBI). ⋯ DRS is more sensitive to changes during a shorter time period than FIM and seems to be more appropriate for detecting long-term deficits. However, research studies aimed at detecting meaningful changes year to year after TBI may need to use other tools or consider changes among individuals instead of group changes. DRS Level of Function and Employability Items represent complex functions expected to recover later than the more basic DRS items. Sole use of these two DRS items might provide an efficient means of measuring long-term recovery when resources are limited, whereas expansion of these two items might allow greater sensitivity and detail.