Longitudinal Investigation of Alexithymia as a Predictor of Empathy, Emotional Functioning, Resilience, and Life Satisfaction 2 Years After Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the unique contribution of alexithymia at 1 year after traumatic brain injury (TBI) to the prospective prediction of emotional and social health outcomes at 2 years after injury. DESIGN: Multicenter, longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: Data were collected during year 1 and year 2 postinjury follow-up interviews across 4 TBI Model System centers. PARTICIPANTS: Persons with TBI (N=175; 134 men and 41 women) who had English fluency and were capable of providing self-reported data. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary independent variable was the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. Outcome measures included the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, National Institute of Health Toolbox Emotion Battery Anger, Difficulty with Emotion Regulation Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian, Satisfaction with Life Scale, General Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire 9, suicidal ideation, and problematic substance use. RESULTS: Simple adjusted models demonstrated that after controlling for the specific outcome at year 1, Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 scores significantly predicted year 2 scores for perspective-taking, physical aggression, emotional dysregulation, resilience, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. All of these predictive findings except for physical aggression were maintained in the fully adjusted models that also controlled for age, sex, education level, number of prior TBIs, and motor and cognitive functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with those with lower alexithymia scores, persons with TBI who had higher alexithymia scores at 1 year after injury reported poorer emotional health at 2 years after TBI, even after controlling for year 1 outcome scores, sociodemographic characteristics, and injury-related factors. These results support the need to assess for elevated alexithymia and to provide interventions targeting alexithymia early in the TBI recovery process.

The Effects of Repetitive Head Impact Exposure on Mental Health Symptoms Following Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to characterize the types and timing of repetitive head impact (RHI) exposures in individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to examine the effects of RHI exposures on mental health outcomes. SETTING: TBI Model Systems National Database. PARTICIPANTS: 447 patients with moderate to severe TBI who reported RHI exposure between 2015 and 2022. DESIGN: Secondary data analysis. MAIN MEASURES: RHI exposures reported on the Ohio State University TBI Identification Method (OSU TBI-ID) were characterized by exposure category, duration, and timing relative to the index TBI. Mental health outcomes were evaluated at the 5-year follow-up assessment using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression symptoms and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: The majority of RHI exposures were sports-related (61.1%), followed by other causes (20.8%; including falls), repetitive violence/assault (18.8%), and military exposures (6.7%). Males predominantly reported sports and military exposures, while a larger proportion of females reported violence and falls. Sports exposures were most common before the index TBI, while exposures from falls and violence/abuse were most common after TBI. RHI exposures occurring after the index TBI were associated with higher levels of depression (ß = 5.05; 95% CI, 1.59-8.50) and anxiety (ß = 4.53; 95% CI, 1.02-8.05) symptoms than exposures before the index TBI. CONCLUSION: The findings emphasize the need to consider RHI exposures and their interaction with TBI when assessing mental health outcomes. Understanding the prevalence and challenges associated with RHI post-TBI can inform targeted interventions and improve the well-being of individuals with TBI. Preventive measures and ongoing care should be implemented to address the risks posed by RHI, particularly in individuals with prior TBI, especially surrounding fall and violence/abuse prevention.

Examining the Evidence From Single-Case Experimental Designs to Treat Challenging Behaviors Following Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate evidence on the effectiveness of behavioral interventions using single-case experimental design (SCED) methodology and to identify behavioral interventions with sufficient evidence for possible inclusion in the development of guidelines for the management of challenging behaviors in adults following moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: As a subinvestigation of a larger systematic review process designed to identify evidence for guidelines development, the current review focused on studies using SCED methodology applied to persons with challenging behaviors following moderate to severe TBI. Articles were identified from a search of the published literature through January 2021, identifying studies in CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, MEDLINE/Ovid, and PsycINFO. Articles meeting inclusion criteria were assessed for design rigor to allow for effect size determination. The identified cases were then critically appraised using the RoBiNT (Risk-of-Bias in N-of-1 Trails) Scale to determine strength of evidence for causal inference. RESULTS: Thirty-four studies met inclusion criteria, with a total of 44 cases evaluated for effect of the treatment intervention on defined target behaviors. Seventeen cases had effect sizes rated as large, 22 cases as medium, 3 cases as small, and 3 as no effect. An observed trend was for large and medium effect sizes to be associated with lower RoBiNT Scale internal validity scores. Randomization, blinded provider and assessor, and assessment of treatment adherence were the internal validity items unlikely to meet criteria. CONCLUSIONS: SCED methodology was found to produce large and medium effect sizes for behavioral interventions targeting challenging behaviors following moderate to severe TBI. However, the strength of the evidence is limited because of weaknesses in study designs. Most of the studies failed to meet established internal validity criteria designed to reduce risk of bias in SCED studies as such rigor is difficult to establish or often not practical in clinical settings. Suggestions and recommendations are outlined for improving the quality of published cases using SCED methodology, which, in turn, will improve credibility of evidence and better inform the development of treatment guidelines for behavior regulation.

Who Moves After SCI? Individual, Health, and Neighborhood Predictors of Residential Mobility Among Participants in the National Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate residential mobility among community-living adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) and the individual, health, and neighborhood factors associated with the propensity to relocate. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of data from the National SCI Model Systems (SCIMS) Database collected between 2006 and 2018 and linked with the American Community Survey 5-year estimates. SETTING: Community. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. PARTICIPANTS: People with traumatic SCI (N=4599) who participated in 2 waves of follow-up and had residential geographic identifiers at the census tract level. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Moving was a binary measure reflecting change in residential locations over a 5-year interval. Move distance distinguished nonmovers from local movers (different tracts within the same county) and long-distance movers (to different county or state). Move quality included 4 categories: stayed/low poverty tract, stayed/high poverty tract, moved/low poverty tract, and moved/high poverty tract. RESULTS: One in 4 people moved within a 5-year interval (n=1175). Of the movers, 55% relocated to a different census tract within the same county and 45% relocated to a different county or state. Thirty-five percent of all movers relocated to a high poverty census tract. Racial and ethnic minorities, people from low-income households, and younger adults were more likely to move, move locally, and relocate to a high poverty neighborhood. High poverty and racial/ethnic segregation in the origin neighborhood predicted an increased risk for remaining in or moving to a high poverty neighborhood. CONCLUSIONS: Although people with SCI relocated at a lower rate than has been reported in the general population, moving was a frequent occurrence postinjury. People from vulnerable groups were more likely to remain in or relocate to socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods, thus increasing the risk for health disparities and poorer long-term outcomes among minorities and people from low-income households. These findings inform policy makers' considerations of housing, health care, and employment initiatives for individuals with SCI and other chronic disabilities.

Quasi-Contextualized Speech Treatment in Traumatic Brain Injury Inpatient Rehabilitation: Effects on Outcomes During the First Year After Discharge.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of providing quasi-contextualized speech therapy, defined as metacognitive, compensatory, or strategy training applied to cognitive and language impairments to facilitate the performance of future real-life activities, on functional outcomes up to 1 year following traumatic brain injury (TBI). SETTING: Acute inpatient rehabilitation. PARTICIPANTS: Patients enrolled during the TBI-Practice-Based Evidence (TBI-PBE) study (n = 1760), aged 14 years or older, who sustained a severe, moderate, or complicated mild TBI, received speech therapy in acute inpatient rehabilitation at one of 9 US sites, and consented to follow-up 3 and 9 months postdischarge from inpatient rehabilitation. DESIGN: Propensity score methods applied to a database consisting of multisite, prospective, longitudinal observational data. MAIN MEASURES: Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective-17, FIM Motor and Cognitive scores, Satisfaction With Life Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. RESULTS: When at least 5% of therapy time employed quasi-contextualized treatment, participants reported better community participation during the year following discharge. Quasi-contextualized treatment was also associated with better motor and cognitive function at discharge and during the year after discharge. The benefit, however, may be dependent upon a balance of rehabilitation time that relied on contextualized treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The use of quasi-contextualized treatment may improve outcomes. Care should be taken, however, to not provide quasi-contextualized treatment at the expense of contextualized treatment.

Reinjury After Moderate to Severe TBI: Rates and Risk Factors in the NIDILRR Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems.

OBJECTIVES: To compare characteristics of those who do and do not sustain subsequent traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) following index TBI and to identify reinjury risk factors. DESIGN: Secondary data analysis of an ongoing longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: TBI Model Systems Centers. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 11 353 individuals aged 16+ years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ohio State University TBI Identification Method. RESULTS: In total, 7.9% of individuals reported sustaining a TBI post-index TBI. Twenty percent of reinjuries occurred within a year of the index TBI. Reinjury risk followed an approximate U-shaped distribution such that risk was higher in the first year, declined 2 to 10 years postinjury, and then increased after 10 years. A multivariable Weibull model identified predictors of reinjury: younger (<29 years) and middle-aged and older (50+ years) age at index TBI relative to middle age, pre-index TBI, pre-index alcohol and illicit drug use, incarceration history, and less severe index TBI. CONCLUSIONS: A subset of individuals who receive inpatient rehabilitation for TBI are at an increased risk for reinjury, and an injury-prone phenotype may be characterized by engagement in risk behaviors. Factors associated with reinjury risk may differ for younger versus middle-aged and older adults. Findings underscore the need for empirically informed risk stratification models to identify TBI survivors at risk for reinjury.

Cost-Benefit Analysis From the Payor's Perspective for Screening and Diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnea During Inpatient Rehabilitation for Moderate to Severe TBI.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the cost benefit of 4 different approaches to screening for sleep apnea in a cohort of participants with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) receiving inpatient rehabilitation from the payor's perspective. DESIGN: A cost-benefit analysis of phased approaches to sleep apnea diagnosis. SETTING: Six TBI Model System Inpatient Rehabilitation Centers. PARTICIPANTS: Trial data from participants (N=214) were used in analyses (mean age 44±18y, 82% male, 75% white, with primarily motor vehicle-related injury [44%] and falls [33%] with a sample mean emergency department Glasgow Coma Scale of 8±5). INTERVENTION: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME: Cost benefit. RESULTS: At apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥15 (34%), phased modeling approaches using screening measures (Snoring, Tired, Observed, Blood Pressure, Body Mass Index, Age, Neck Circumference, and Gender [STOPBANG] [-$5291], Multivariable Apnea Prediction Index MAPI [-$5262]) resulted in greater cost savings and benefit relative to the portable diagnostic approach (-$5210) and initial use of laboratory-quality polysomnography (-$5,011). Analyses at AHI≥5 (70%) revealed the initial use of portable testing (-$6323) relative to the screening models (MAPI [-$6250], STOPBANG [-$6237) and initial assessment with polysomnography (-$5977) resulted in greater savings and cost-effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: The high rates of sleep apnea after TBI highlight the importance of accurate diagnosis and treatment of this comorbid disorder. However, financial and practical barriers exist to obtaining an earlier diagnosis during inpatient rehabilitation hospitalization. Diagnostic cost savings are demonstrated across all phased approaches and OSA severity levels with the most cost-beneficial approach varying by incidence of OSA.

Comparative Effectiveness of Sleep Apnea Screening Instruments During Inpatient Rehabilitation Following Moderate to Severe TBI.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity and comparative effectiveness of traditional sleep apnea screening tools in traumatic brain injury (TBI) neurorehabilitation admissions. DESIGN: Prospective diagnostic comparative effectiveness trial of sleep apnea screening tools relative to the criterion standard, attended level 1 polysomnography including encephalography. SETTING: Six TBI Model System Inpatient Rehabilitation Centers. PARTICIPANTS: Between May 2017 and February 2019, 449 of 896 screened were eligible for the trial with 345 consented (77% consented). Additional screening left 263 eligible for and completing polysomnography with final analyses completed on 248. INTERVENTION: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Area under the curve (AUC) of screening tools relative to total apnea hypopnea index≥15 (AHI, moderate to severe apnea) measured at a median of 47 days post-TBI (interquartile range, 29-47). RESULTS: The Berlin high-risk score (receiving operating curve [ROC] AUC=0.634) was inferior to the Multivariable Apnea Prediction Index (MAPI) (ROC AUC=0.780) (P=.0211; CI, 0.018-0.223) and Snoring, Tired, Observed, Blood Pressure, Body Mass Index, Age, Neck Circumference, and Gender (STOPBANG) score (ROC AUC=0.785) (P=.001; CI, 0.063-0.230), both of which had comparable AUC (P=.7245; CI, -0.047 to 0.068). Findings were similar for AHI≥30 (severe apnea); however, no differences across scales was observed at AHI≥5. The pattern was similar across TBI severity subgroups except for posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) status wherein the MAPI outperformed the Berlin. Youden's index to determine risk yielded lower sensitivities but higher specificities relative to non-TBI samples. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to provide clinicians with data to support a choice for which sleep apnea screening tools are more effective during inpatient rehabilitation for TBI (STOPBANG, MAPI vs Berlin) to help reduce comorbidity and possibly improve neurologic outcome.

Current health status and history of traumatic brain injury among Ohio adults.

INTRODUCTION: Lifetime history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) with loss of consciousness (LOC) is prevalent in 21% of adult, non-institutionalised residents of Ohio. Prior history has been associated with lower incomes, inability to work and disability. The current study sought to evaluate the relationship between lifetime history and adverse health conditions. METHODS: Data came from the 2014 Ohio Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System, which included a state-specific module eliciting lifetime history of TBI. RESULTS: Non-institutionalised adults living in Ohio who have had at least one TBI with LOC were more likely to report fair or poor health, more days of poor health, more days when poor health limited activities, being diagnosed with a chronic condition and having less than 7 hours of sleep per night. The relationship with increasing number of TBIs was monotonic, with the likelihood of adverse health increasing as the number increased. A similar relationship was observed for increasing severity of the worst lifetime TBI. Experiencing a first TBI before age 15 was associated with poorer health but was not statistically different than incurring a first after age 15. CONCLUSIONS: Adults who have experienced TBI with LOC in their lifetime are two to three times more likely to experience adverse health conditions when compared with same age-matched, sex-matched and race-matched adults without such history. These findings support re-examining the public health burden of TBI in light of lifetime exposure and not just the consequences of an index injury.

Lifetime History of Traumatic Brain Injury and Behavioral Health Problems in a Population-Based Sample.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationships between indices of lifetime history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) exposure and measures of behavioral health status among Ohioans. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample (n = 6996) of Ohioans contacted to complete the 2014 Ohio Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS). DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey. MAIN MEASURES: The Ohio State University TBI Identification Method adapted for BRFSS module and BRFSS behavioral indicators. RESULTS: After demographic adjustment, lifetime history of TBI was found to be associated with increased odds of binge drinking, heavy drinking, smoking, a depressive disorder, or mental health not being good (≥2 days and ≥14 days in last 30 days). Mixed findings across behavioral indicators were observed in regard to number and severity of injury. Age at first injury showed no remarkable associations with the behavioral health indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Ohioans who have sustained at least one TBI with loss of consciousness in their lifetime are at increased risk for poor behavioral health, including alcohol misuse, smoking, and depression. The findings underscore the need for community-based mental health treatment programs to screen for TBI history in their intake evaluations, and to train clinicians on the provisions of accommodations for cognitive and behavioral deficits.

Influence of Prior and Intercurrent Brain Injury on 5-Year Outcome Trajectories After Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the influence of additional (both prior and subsequent) traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) on recovery after a moderate to severe index TBI. SETTING: Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems centers. PARTICIPANTS: Persons with moderate to severe TBI (N = 5054) enrolled in the TBI Model Systems National Database with complete outcome data for the outcomes of interest at 1-, 2-, and 5-year follow-up. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a prospective longitudinal data set. MAIN MEASURES: Prior and intercurrent TBI from the Ohio State University TBI Identification Method (OSU TBI-ID), Disability Rating Scale (DRS), and Functional Independence Measure (FIM). RESULTS: Prior moderate-severe TBIs significantly predicted overall level of functioning on the DRS, FIM Cognitive, and FIM Motor for participants with less severe index injuries. Moderate-severe intercurrent TBIs (TBIs subsequent to the index injury) were predictive of poorer functioning for both Index Severity groups, reflected in higher mean scores on the DRS in participants with less severe index injuries and lower mean Cognitive FIM in participants with more severe index injuries. CONCLUSION: Multiple brain injuries, particularly those of moderate or greater severity, have a significantly greater impact on patients' level of functioning compared with a single injury, but not the rate or shape of recovery.

Effect of Preexisting and Co-Occurring Comorbid Conditions on Recovery in the 5 Years After Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between comorbid health conditions and the trajectory of functional recovery 5 years following traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation. SETTING: Two acute rehabilitation facilities. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 407 patients with primary diagnosis of TBI. DESIGN: Prospective, observational. MAIN MEASURES: Functional Independence Measure Cognitive and Motor scores. RESULTS: Female gender was negatively associated with the trajectory of motor recovery (P < .001). TBI severity was negatively associated with both motor and cognitive recovery and interacted with time after injury (both Ps < .0001). Hypertension was negatively associated with both motor (P < .0001) and cognitive (P = .0121) recovery, although this relationship diminished over time for motor function (P = .0447). Cardiac conditions were negatively associated with motor recovery (P = .0204), and rate of cognitive recovery was more rapid for patients with cardiac conditions (P = .0088). Depressed patients recovered cognitive function more quickly than those who were not depressed (P = .0196). Diabetes was negatively associated with motor function (P = .0088). Drug/alcohol use was positively associated with motor function (P = .0036). CONCLUSIONS: Injury severity remains an important predictor of long-term recovery; however, certain comorbid medical conditions are negatively associated with functional abilities over the first 5 years after injury. Patients being discharged from TBI rehabilitation with comorbid cardiac, hypertensive, diabetic, and/or depressive conditions may benefit from early and ongoing clinical surveillance.

Comparative Effectiveness of Inpatient Rehabilitation Interventions for Traumatic Brain Injury: Introduction.

The Comparative Effectiveness of Inpatient Rehabilitation Interventions for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI-CER) project used causal inference methods as an alternative to randomized controlled trials to evaluate rehabilitation practices. The TBI practice-based evidence dataset afforded the opportunity to compare the outcomes of different rehabilitation approaches while controlling for a large set of potential confounders using propensity score methods (PSMs). PSMs rely on 4 assumptions: positivity, exchangeability, consistency, and correct specification of the propensity score model. When these assumptions are met, PSMs provide a transparent means for evaluating potential causal relations between interventions and outcomes using observational data. In combination, the series of studies resulting from the TBI-CER project suggested that the content and approach used in treatment have a stronger effect on outcomes than the amount of time spent in treatment. Further, engagement of the patient and family in treatment is key to optimizing outcomes up to 9 months postdischarge from rehabilitation.

Contextualized Treatment in Traumatic Brain Injury Inpatient Rehabilitation: Effects on Outcomes During the First Year After Discharge.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of providing a greater percentage of therapy as contextualized treatment on acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation outcomes. DESIGN: Propensity score methods are applied to the TBI Practice-Based Evidence (TBI-PBE) database, a database consisting of multi-site, prospective, longitudinal observational data. SETTING: Acute inpatient rehabilitation. PARTICIPANTS: Patients enrolled in the TBI-PBE study (N=1843), aged 14 years or older, who sustained a severe, moderate, or complicated mild TBI, received their first inpatient rehabilitation facility admission in the US, and consented to follow-up 3 and 9 months post discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective (PART-O)-17, FIM Motor and Cognitive scores, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. RESULTS: Increasing the percentage of contextualized treatment during inpatient TBI rehabilitation leads to better outcomes, specifically in regard to community participation. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the proportion of treatment provided in the context of real-life activities appears to have a beneficial effect on outcome. Although the effect sizes are small, the results are consistent with other studies supporting functional-based interventions effecting better outcomes. Furthermore, any positive findings, regardless of size or strength, are endorsed as important by consumers (survivors of TBI). While the findings do not imply that decontextualized treatment should not be used, when the therapy goal can be addressed with either approach, the findings suggest that better outcomes may result if the contextualized approach is used.

Level of Effort and 3 Hour Rule Compliance.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if patients' level of effort (LOE) in therapy sessions during traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation modifies the effect of compliance with the 3-Hour Rule of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. DESIGN: Propensity score methodology applied to the TBI Practice-Based Evidence database, consisting of multisite, prospective, longitudinal observational data. SETTING: Acute inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF). PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=1820) who received their first IRF admission for TBI in the United States and were enrolled for 3- and 9-month follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective-17, FIM Motor and Cognitive scores, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. RESULTS: When the full cohort was examined, no strong main effect of compliance with the 3-Hour Rule was identified and LOE did not modify the effect of compliance with the 3-Hour Rule. In contrast, LOE had a strong positive main effect on all outcomes, except depression. When the sample was stratified by level of disability, LOE modified the effect of compliance, particularly on the outcomes of participants with less severe disability. For these patients, providing 3 hours of therapy for 50% or more of therapy days in the context of low effort resulted in poorer performance on select outcome measures at discharge and up to 9 months postdischarge compared to patients with <50% of 3-hour therapy days. CONCLUSIONS: LOE is an active ingredient in inpatient TBI rehabilitation, while compliance with the 3-Hour Rule was not found to have a substantive effect on the outcomes. The results support matching time in therapy during acute TBI rehabilitation to patients' LOE in order to optimize long-term benefits on outcomes.

Advanced Therapy in Traumatic Brain Injury Inpatient Rehabilitation: Effects on Outcomes During the First Year After Discharge.

OBJECTIVE: To use causal inference methods to determine if receipt of a greater proportion of inpatient rehabilitation treatment focused on higher level functions, for example, executive functions, ambulating over uneven surfaces (advanced therapy [AdvTx]), results in better rehabilitation outcomes. DESIGN: A cohort study using propensity score methods applied to the traumatic brain injury practice-based evidence (TBI-PBE) database, a database consisting of multisite, prospective, longitudinal observational data. SETTING: Acute inpatient rehabilitation facilities. PARTICIPANTS: Patients enrolled in the TBI-PBE study (N=1843), aged 14 years or older, who sustained a severe, moderate, or complicated mild TBI, receiving their first inpatient rehabilitation facility admission to 1 of 9 sites in the United States, and consented to follow-up 3 and 9 months postdischarge from inpatient rehabilitation. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective-17, FIM motor and cognitive scores, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. RESULTS: Controlling for measured potential confounders, increasing the percentage of AdvTx during inpatient TBI rehabilitation was found to be associated with better community participation, functional independence, life satisfaction, and decreased likelihood of depression during the year after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Participants who began rehabilitation with greater disability experienced larger gains on some outcomes than those who began rehabilitation with more intact abilities. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the proportion of treatment targeting higher level functions appears to have no detrimental and a small, beneficial effect on outcome. Caution should be exercised when inferring causality given that a large number of potential confounders could not be completely controlled with propensity score methods. Further, the extent to which unmeasured confounders influenced the findings is not known and could be of particular concern due to the potential for the patient's recovery trajectory to influence therapists' decisions to provide a greater amount of AdvTx.

Family Involvement in Traumatic Brain Injury Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Propensity Score Analysis of Effects on Outcomes During the First Year After Discharge.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of family attendance at inpatient rehabilitation therapy sessions on traumatic brain injury (TBI) patient outcomes at discharge and up to 9 months postdischarge. DESIGN: Propensity score methods are applied to the TBI Practice-Based Evidence database, a database consisting of multisite, prospective, longitudinal, and observational data. SETTING: Nine inpatient rehabilitation centers in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=1835) admitted for first inpatient rehabilitation after an index TBI. INTERVENTION: Family attendance during therapy sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participation Assessment for Recombined Tools-Objective-17 (Total scores and subdomain scores of Productivity, Out and About, and Social Relations), Functional Independence Measure, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. RESULTS: Participants whose families were in attendance for at least 10% of the treatment time were more out and about in their communities at 3 and 9 months postdischarge than participants whose families attended treatment less than 10% of the time. Although findings varied by propensity score method, improved functional independence in the cognitive area at 9 months was also associated with increased family attendance. CONCLUSIONS: Family involvement during inpatient rehabilitation may improve community participation and cognitive functioning up to 9 months after discharge. Rehabilitation teams should engage patients' families in the rehabilitation process to maximize outcomes.

Longitudinal Effects of Medical Comorbidities on Functional Outcome and Life Satisfaction After Traumatic Brain Injury: An Individual Growth Curve Analysis of NIDILRR Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Data.

OBJECTIVE: To explore associations of specific physical and neuropsychiatric medical conditions to motor and cognitive functioning and life satisfaction over the first 10 years following traumatic brain injury (TBI). SETTING: Telephone follow-up through 6 TBI Model System centers. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 404 individuals or proxies with TBI enrolled in the TBI Model System longitudinal study participating in 10-year follow-up. DESIGN: Individual growth curve analysis. MAIN MEASURES: FIM Motor and Cognitive subscales, Satisfaction With Life Scales, and Medical and Mental Health Comorbidities Interview. RESULTS: Hypertension, diabetes, cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, and anxiety negatively affected the trajectory of motor functioning over time. Diabetes, cancers, chronic bronchitis, anxiety, and depression negatively impacted cognitive functioning. Numerous neuropsychiatric conditions (sleep disorder, alcoholism, drug addiction, anxiety, panic attacks, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and bipolar disorder), as well as hypertension, liver disease, and cancers, diminished life satisfaction. Other medical conditions had a negative effect on functioning and satisfaction at specific follow-up periods. CONCLUSION: Natural recovery after TBI may include delayed onset of functional decline or early recovery, followed by progressive deterioration, and is negatively affected by medical comorbidities. Results contribute to the growing evidence that TBI is most appropriately treated as a chronic medical condition complicated by a variety of comorbid conditions.

Prevalence of Medical and Psychiatric Comorbidities Following Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of selected medical and psychiatric comorbidities that existed prior to or up to 10 years following traumatic brain injury (TBI) requiring acute rehabilitation. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Six TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) centers. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 404 participants in the TBIMS National Database who experienced TBI 10 years prior. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Self-reported medical and psychiatric comorbidities and the onset time of each endorsed comorbidity. RESULTS: At 10 years postinjury, the most common comorbidities developing postinjury, in order, were back pain, depression, hypertension, anxiety, fractures, high blood cholesterol, sleep disorders, panic attacks, osteoarthritis, and diabetes. Comparing those 50 years and older to those younger than 50 years, diabetes (odds ratio [OR] = 3.54; P = .0016), high blood cholesterol (OR = 2.04; P = .0092), osteoarthritis (OR = 2.02; P = .0454), and hypertension (OR = 1.84; P = .0175) were significantly more prevalent in the older cohort while panic attacks (OR = 0.33; P = .0022) were significantly more prevalent in the younger cohort. No significant differences in prevalence rates between the older and younger cohorts were found for back pain, depression, anxiety, fractures, or sleep disorders. CONCLUSIONS: People with moderate-severe TBI experience other medical and mental health comorbidities during the long-term course of recovery and life after injury. The findings can inform further investigation into comorbidities associated with TBI and the role of medical care, surveillance, prevention, lifestyle, and healthy behaviors in potentially modifying their presence and/or prevalence over the life span.

Lifetime prevalence of traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of lifetime history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) with loss of consciousness (LOC) among adult, non-institutionalised residents of Ohio. METHODS: We analysed data from 2014 Ohio Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which included a state-specific module designed to elicit lifetime history of TBI. RESULTS: Of non-institutionalised adults 18 years and over living in Ohio, 21.7% reported at least one lifetime TBI with LOC, 2.6% experienced at least one moderate or severe such injury, 9.1% experienced a TBI with LOC before age 15 years and 10.8% experienced either TBI with LOC before age 15 years or a moderate or severe injury. Males, those with lower incomes and those unable to work were more likely to have incurred at least one TBI with LOC, multiple TBIs with LOC, a moderate or severe TBI and a TBI with LOC before age15. CONCLUSIONS: One in five adults experienced TBIs of sufficient severity to cause LOC; 3% experienced at least one moderate or severe TBI and almost 10% experienced a first TBI with LOC before the age of 15 years. The prevalence of lifetime TBI in the present study suggests that there may be a substantially greater burden of injury than concluded from previous prevalence estimates.