Trajectories of Global Functioning Over the 10 Years After Traumatic Brain Injury in Black Individuals: A Model...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Public Health
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) disproportionately affects minority populations, with limited understanding of long-term functional recovery in Black individuals.
• Longitudinal studies tracking global functioning trajectories post-TBI are crucial for identifying disparities and informing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the 10-year global functioning trajectories following TBI in a cohort of Black individuals.
• To identify demographic and injury-related predictors influencing these long-term functional recovery patterns.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 2523 Black individuals within the TBI Model System (TBIMS) National Database.
• Assessed global functioning using the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E) at 1, 2, 5, and 10 years post-TBI and rehabilitation discharge.

Main Results:

• Global functioning (GOS-E scores) showed a slight increase from year 1 to 2, followed by a plateau, fitting a U-shaped trend.
• Younger age, higher education, private insurance, and shorter posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) duration significantly predicted better GOS-E trajectories.
• A significant interaction between time and age indicated younger adults had initial improvement and stabilization, while older adults experienced general decline.

Conclusions:

• Age, education, insurance status, and PTA duration are key predictors of long-term global functional outcomes in Black individuals post-TBI.
• Identifying individuals at risk for poorer functional trajectories is essential for developing targeted interventions.
• These findings represent a step towards reducing health disparities in functional recovery after TBI within this population.