Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is often called the “silent epidemic” because, while common, many people who sustain an mTBI will not seek health care for their injury. MTBI is often
characterized by a cascade of symptoms such as headache, fatigue, disrupted sleep, and mental
health challenges. Although these symptoms often resolve within three months after injury, many people will experience symptoms for a year or longer. Those experiencing chronic mTBI symptoms may also be at greater risk for social impairment, along quality of life and general health deficits.
Predicting who will experience chronic symptoms after mTBI can be challenging because multiple variables—such as age, gender, medical history, and sociodemographic background—can influence. To better understand the association between demographics and mTBI outcomes, a team of researchers conducted an study of recovery after mTBI.
The research team evaluated 833 adults who had sustained an mTBI on their recovery one year after injury. The researchers reviewed demographics and injury data that were collected within 24 hours of the initial diagnosis and then conducted global and psychosocial evaluation 6 and 12 months after injury.
The results of the study indicated worse global and psychological outcomes after one year for patients with a lower score on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), indicating a greater degree of cognitive impairment immediately following the injury. Moreover, a diagnosis of depression, female gender, and injuries from assault were all identified as risk factors for worse social functioning after one year.
These results suggest that women, people who experience injury from assault, and people with depression may be at higher risk for chronic mTBI symptoms. Furthermore, this study validates the GCS as an accurate predictor of injury severity, as those with lower cognition at the time of their injury had consequently diminished global and social functioning. By using the GCS as a predictor for chronic mTBI symptoms, clinicians can work to prevent at-risk groups from prolonged suffering.
Humphries T, Sinha S, Dawson J, et al. Can differences in hospitalised mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) outcomes at 12 months be predicted? Acta Neurochirurgica. (March 2022).