Comparison of rehabilitation outcome in patients with aphasic and non-aphasic traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the functional, cognitive and disability status of aphasic and non-aphasic traumatic brain injury patients.


METHODS
A prospective comparative study in which 103 patients with traumatic brain injury participated.


METHODS
Fifty-one aphasic and 52 non-aphasic patients with traumatic brain injury.


METHODS
Functional Independence Measure and Disability Rating Scale were used to determine functional status and disability. Cognitive status was evaluated by the Mini-Mental Status Examination. Aphasic patients were evaluated using the Gülhane Aphasia Test for language disorders.


RESULTS
The most frequent type of aphasia was Broca aphasia at 26.49% followed by anomic at 19.6% and trans-cortical motor at 15.6%. Functional Independence Measure, Disability Rating Scale and Mini-Mental Status Examination scores at admission and at discharge showed significant differences in aphasic patients (p<0.001). There were no significant differences in the Functional Independence Measure, Disability Rating Scale and Mini-Mental Status Examination gains between the aphasic and non-aphasic patients (p>0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Although aphasia could be accepted as a negative prognostic indicator in patients with traumatic brain injury, we could not detect any difference in functional and cognitive gains between the aphasic and non-aphasic patients.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Education and Research Hospital of Ministry of Health, Ankara, Turkey. sibiozbudak@hotmail.com
Sibel
S
Ozbudak Demir
Gülderen
G
Görgülü
Füsun
F
Köseoglu
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001037:Aphasia / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003071:Cognition; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D020127:Recovery of Function; D016896:Treatment Outcome