[Quality of life after traumatic brain injury]

The majority of concepts of quality of life (QoL) include both objective and subjective dimensions. The objective aspect of QoL after traumatic brain injury (TBI) concentrates on patients' functioning in physical, psychological, social and cognitive domains. The subjective component refers to life satisfaction and individual evaluation of life as a whole or in the domains. The aim of this paper was to review research on QoL in TBI patients taking into account this bidimensional framework. The studies reviewed show that TBI has a significant, long-term impact on all QoL domains. Subjects with TBI score significantly lower than non-injured controls or normative groups. Traumatic brain injury has a more profound effect on the psychosocial domains than on the physical domain, which means that the impact of TBI is cumulative. Further research should focus on prognostic factors of QoL and on the role of rehabilitation in prevention of deterioration in QoL of patients and their caregivers.