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Investigations on Alterations of Hippocampal Circuit Function Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: November 19, 2012
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Determining client cognitive status following mild traumatic brain injury
Elizabeth Hobson1,2, Natasha A Lannin1,3, Amelia Taylor3
1a Department of Occupational Therapy , La Trobe University , Melbourne , Australia ;
Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy
|October 13, 2015
Summary
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Cognistat scores do not predict daily living performance in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients. Co-morbid injuries and hospital stay length were better indicators of functional outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Occupational Therapy
Background:
- Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) frequently leads to cognitive deficits.
- Occupational therapists in acute care settings use Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and other tools to assess mTBI patients.
- Evidence for the most effective cognitive assessment tools post-mTBI is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if GCS scores and Cognistat assessments predict basic activities of daily living (ADL) performance in acute mTBI patients.
- To inform the clinical utility of GCS and Cognistat for mTBI cognitive assessment.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medical records from 166 mTBI patients.
- Data included demographics, Cognistat, GCS, and modified Barthel Index (MBI).
- Statistical methods included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and linear regression.
Main Results:
- No significant association was found between GCS and Cognistat scores.
- Cognistat scores did not correlate with modified Barthel Index (MBI) dependency levels.
- Co-morbid multi-trauma injuries and length of hospital stay were significant predictors of MBI dependency.
Conclusions:
- GCS and Cognistat scores have limited utility in distinguishing cognitive impairment levels after mTBI.
- Modified Barthel Index (MBI) is valuable for identifying ADL difficulties.
- Routine use of Cognistat for mTBI is cautioned; further research is needed for better assessment tools.
