title: Inpatient rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury: the influence of age on treatments and outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elderly persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are increasingly admitted to inpatient rehabilitation, but we have limited knowledge of their characteristics, the treatments they receive, and their short-term and medium-term outcomes. This study explored these issues by means of comparisons between age groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on 1419 patients admitted to 9 inpatient rehabilitation facilities for initial rehabilitation after TBI were collected by means of (1) abstraction from medical records; (2) point-of care forms completed by therapists after each treatment session; and (3) interviews at 3 months and 9 months after discharge, conducted with the patient or a proxy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elderly persons (65 or older) had a lower brain injury severity, and a shorter length of stay (LOS) in acute care. During rehabilitation, they received fewer hours of therapy, due to a shorter LOS and fewer hours of treatment per day, especially from psychology and therapeutic recreation. They regained less functional ability during and after inpatient rehabilitation, and had a very high mortality rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elderly people can be rehabilitated successfully, and discharged back to the community. The treatment therapists deliver, and issues surrounding high mortality need further research.
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. marcel.dijkers@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dijkers
authors.forename: Murray
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brandstater
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ryser
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barrett
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome