Traumatic brain injury: a comparison of inpatient functional outcomes between children and adults.
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.
Niedzwecki
Christian M
CM
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University, Box 980677, Richmond, VA 23298, USA. cniedzwecki@mcvh-vcu.edu
Marwitz
Jennifer H
JH
Ketchum
Jessica M
JM
Cifu
David X
DX
Dillard
Charles M
CM
Monasterio
Eugenio A
EA
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