Assessment of motor and process skills reflects brain-injured patients' ability to resume independent living better than neuropsychological tests.
OBJECTIVE
To compare recovery of cognitive functions and activities of daily living during the first year of rehabilitation after severe brain trauma.


METHODS
Sixteen patients were evaluated by neuropsychological tests and occupational performance (assessment of motor and process skills, AMPS) on admission to the rehabilitation centre and 3, 6 and 12 months later.


RESULTS
Cognitive functions improved continuously. Motor skills recovered rapidly and were relatively stable after 3 months. For process skills recovery was protracted. Six of 15 patients were still below the cut-off level after 12 months. Eleven of 13 patients deteriorated regarding process skills after leaving the rehabilitation centre.


CONCLUSIONS
AMPS gives a different view of the patient's restitution than neuropsychological tests and may be a better indicator of the patients' ability to resume independent living. The deterioration of process skills post-rehabilitation suggests that lasting contact in an outpatient setting might facilitate return to social life.
Lindén
A
A
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Boschian
K
K
Eker
C
C
Schalén
W
W
Nordström
C-H
CH
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012919:Social Behavior