title: Traumatic brain injury: a comparison of inpatient functional outcomes between children and adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine age-related differences in functional outcomes following traumatic brain injury. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: Seventy-six patients admitted to a pediatric acute rehabilitation hospital were compared with 2548 adult patients in the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research-funded traumatic brain injury model systems national database.
  
  
  METHODS
  Functional Independence Measure totals during inpatient rehabilitation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increasing age was significantly associated with improved outcome in children and with poorer outcome in adults.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relationship between age and functional outcome is different within different age groups (pediatric vs adult), and the effect of moderating variables differs by age group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University, Box 980677, Richmond, VA 23298, USA. cniedzwecki@mcvh-vcu.edu
authors.forename: Christian M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Niedzwecki
authors.forename: Jennifer H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Marwitz
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ketchum
authors.forename: David X
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Cifu
authors.forename: Charles M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Dillard
authors.forename: Eugenio A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Monasterio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012189:Retrospective Studies