Jens Bak Sommer, Anne Norup, Ingrid Poulsen, Jesper Morgensen
Jens Bak Sommer, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. E-mail: jens.sommer@ sund.ku.dk
DOI: 10.2340/16501977-1208

Objective: To examine cognitive activity limitations and predictors of outcome 1 year post-trauma in patients admitted to sub-acute rehabilitation after severe traumatic brain injury.
Subjects: The study included 119 patients with severe traumatic brain injury admitted to centralized sub-acute rehabilitation in the Eastern part of Denmark during a 5-year period from 2005 to 2009.
Methods: Level of consciousness was assessed consecutively during rehabilitation and at 1 year post-trauma. Severity of traumatic brain injury was classified according to duration of post-traumatic amnesia. The cognitive subscale of Functional Independence MeasureTM (Cog-FIM) was used to assess cognitive activity limitations. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of an independent level of functioning.
Results: The majority of patients progressed to a post-confusional level of consciousness during the first year post-trauma. At follow-up 33–58% of patients had achieved functional independence within the cognitive domains on the Cog-FIM. Socio-economic status, duration of acute care and post-traumatic amnesia were significant predictors of outcome.
Conclusion: Substantial recovery was documented among patients with severe traumatic brain injury during the first year post-trauma. The results of the current study suggest that absence of consciousness at discharge from acute care should not preclude patients from being referred to specialized sub-acute rehabilitation.