title: Use of the Disability Rating Scale Recovery curve as a predictor of psychosocial outcome following closed-head injury.
abstract: Rapid rate of recovery has been associated with better outcome following closed-head injuries, but few studies have compellingly demonstrated this. This study used growth curve analyses of Disability Rating Scale (DRS) scores at acute hospitalization discharge, 1, 3, and 6 months post injury in a sample of 55 patients with a closed-head injury. Six month post-injury outcome measures were taken from significant other (SO) responses on the NYU Head Injury Family Interview (NYU-HIFI) including severity and burden ratings of affective/neurobehavioral disturbance, cognitive deficits, and physical/dependency status. Rate of recovery (linear and curvilinear recovery curve components) was significantly related to the level of affective/neurobehavioral severity, and the severity and burden of SO-perceived cognitive deficits. Only the intercept of the DRS recovery curve was associated with the SO-perceived severity and burden of physical/dependency status. Growth curve modeling is a meaningful and powerful tool in predicting head injury outcome.
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Houston, TX 77030, USA. mccauley@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: McCauley
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hannay
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Swank
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D020127:Recovery of Function; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index