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Updated: May 28, 2026
Detecting Behavioral Deficits in Rats After Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: January 30, 2018
Disability 3, 12, and 24 months after traumatic brain injury among children and adolescents
Frederick P Rivara1, Thomas D Koepsell, Jin Wang
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. fpr@uw.edu
Insights
Children with moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI) experience lasting disability in quality of life and daily activities. Even mild TBI with bleeding can cause significant long-term issues.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurology
- Rehabilitation medicine
- Public health
Background:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant cause of childhood disability.
- Understanding long-term functional outcomes across TBI severity is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess disability in children and adolescents following traumatic brain injury (TBI).
- To examine the spectrum of injury severity and its impact on long-term outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of children under 18 with TBI or arm injury.
- Outcome measures included health-related quality of life, adaptive skills, and social participation at 3, 12, and 24 months post-injury.
Main Results:
- Moderate/severe TBI led to reduced quality of life and participation, with slow recovery over 2 years.
- Communication and self-care deficits persisted for up to 24 months in moderate/severe TBI.
- Mild TBI with intracranial hemorrhage also resulted in lower quality of life at 3 months.
Conclusions:
- Children with moderate/severe TBI face substantial, long-term reductions in quality of life, social participation, and self-care abilities.
- Mild TBI complicated by intracranial hemorrhage also leads to significant long-term quality of life impairment.
Objective:
To examine disability in children and adolescents after traumatic brain injury (TBI) across the spectrum of injury severity.
Methods:
This was a prospective cohort study of children younger than 18 years treated for a TBI (n = 729) or an arm injury (n = 197) between March 1, 2007, and September 30, 2008. The main outcome measures were disability in health-related quality of life, adaptive skills, and participation in social and community activities 3, 12, and 24 months after injury compared with preinjury functioning.
Results:
The health-related quality of life for children with moderate or severe TBI was lower at all follow-up times compared with baseline, but there was some improvement during the first 2 years after injury. Three months after injury, there was a substantial decrease in the level of activities in which children with moderate and severe TBI were able to participate; these activities improved at 12 and 24 months but were still significantly impaired. Communication and self-care abilities in children with moderate and severe TBI were lower at 3 months than at baseline and did not improve by 24 months. Children who met the definition of mild TBI but had an intracranial hemorrhage had lower quality-of-life scores at 3 months.
Conclusions:
Children with moderate or severe TBI and children with mild TBI who had intracranial hemorrhage had substantial long-term reduction in their quality of life, participation in activities with others, and ability to communicate and care for themselves.
