title: Factors predicting functional and cognitive recovery following severe traumatic, anoxic, and cerebrovascular brain damage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare demographic data, clinical data, and rate of functional and cognitive recovery in patients with severe traumatic, cerebrovascular, or anoxic acquired brain injury (ABI) and to identify factors predicting discharge home.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred twenty-nine patients with severe ABI (192 with traumatic, 104 with cerebrovascular, and 33 with anoxic brain injury).
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal prospective study of inpatients attending the intensive Rehabilitation Department of the "Sacro Cuore" Don Calabria Hospital (Negrar, Verona, Italy).
  
  
  METHODS
  Etiology, sex, age, rehabilitation admission interval, rehabilitation length of stay, discharge destination, Glasgow Coma Scale, Disability Rating Scale (DRS), Glasgow Outcome Scale, Levels of Cognitive Functioning, and Functional Independence Measure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Predominant etiology was traumatic; male gender was prevalent in all the etiologic groups; patients with traumatic brain injury were younger than the patients in the other groups and had shorter rehabilitation admission interval, greater functional and cognitive outcomes on all considered scales, and a higher frequency of returning home. Patients with anoxic brain injury achieved the lowest grade of functional and cognitive recovery. Age, etiology, and admission DRS score predicted return home.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with traumatic brain injury achieved greater functional and cognitive improvements than patients with cerebrovascular and anoxic ABI. Age, etiology, and admission DRS score can assist in predicting discharge destination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological, Neuropsychological, Morphological and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy. nicola.smania@univr.it
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smania
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Avesani
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roncari
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ianes
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Girardi
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Varalta
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Gambini
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiaschi
authors.forename: Marialuisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gandolfi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006801:Humans; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis