Predicting social and functional outcomes for individuals sustaining paediatric traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy of models employing the classification of severity of injury, based on either GCS scores or clinical findings using standardized test scores for Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Psychology in predicting outcomes associated with paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI).


METHODS
Medical records were reviewed to obtain GCS scores and standardized tests used in the clinically based classification of severity of injury for 30 individuals who sustained a paediatric TBI and were patients of a brain injury treatment programme. Interviews were conducted with parents to obtain current data on social participation, cognitive functioning and environmental factors.


RESULTS
Three variables emerged as significant predictors of outcome: age at injury, clinical ratings of injury severity and environmental factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings offer preliminary support for the idea that a combination of factors, including age at injury, clinical expertise and the environment, provide the best estimate of long-term outcome.
Wells
Rebecca
R
University of Waterloo, Psychology, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. remwells@uwaterloo.ca
Minnes
Patricia
P
Phillips
Marjory
M
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015331:Cohort Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome