Prognosis of rehabilitation outcome in head injury using the Disability Rating Scale

In this correlational study, we investigated the prediction of functional status on discharge from head injury rehabilitation in 64 adults with traumatic closed head injury. Subjects were rated on Rappaport's Disability Rating Scale during rehabilitation to obtain the Disability Rating Score on admission to rehabilitation, recovery rate during the first month of rehabilitation, and discharge Disability Rating Score. Potential prognostic variables included demographic and social characteristics, severity of injury indicators, head injury deficits present on admission to rehabilitation, and initial Disability Rating Score, and recovery rate. Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine if discharge Disability Rating Score could be predicted from subsets of the potential prognostic variables. Significant contributions were made to the regression equations by initial Disability Rating Score, recovery rate, post-traumatic amnesia and cognitive deficits. A single multiple regression containing the four significant predictors retained initial Disability Rating Score and recovery rate as significant. The findings were cross-validated on a new sample of 30 head injury patients. Initial Disability Rating Score on admission to rehabilitation emerged as a useful predictor of rehabilitation outcome.