Introduction: Outcomes research for speech language pathology (SLP) interventions for acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation in the US is difficult because of the lack of a treatment classification system (taxonomy). Objective: To describe a taxonomy developed by speech language pathologists (SLPs) to examine the effects of SLP interventions on SCI rehabilitation outcomes. Methods: The SCIRehab study uses practice-based evidence, a rigorous observational methodology that examines treatment processes without specifying or requiring specific therapeutic interventions. Speech language pathology lead clinicians and researchers at 6 US SCI centers developed a detailed SLP taxonomy documentation process that is comprehensive of SLP interventions for patients with SCI. Results: The SLP taxonomy consists of 7 intervention categories that address deficits (speech production for patients with artificial airway, motor speech and voice, swallowing, cognitive-communication, and communication) and the associated exercises and tasks that patients perform. Time is recorded for each category, and supplementary information focuses on cueing needs and family involvement that helps to describe and guide intervention selection. The SCIRehab project is enrolling 1,500 patients with acute traumatic SCI at 6 inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Conclusions: Speech language pathology taxonomy information is being captured for the SCIRehab patients who are referred for SLP services; this may be the first attempt to document the many details of the SLP rehabilitation process for patients with SCI in the US.

The need for swallowing and cognitive treatment by SLP is common during inpatient rehabilitation due to dysfunction resulting from use of artificial airways and feeding approaches, as well as secondary brain injuries. The large amount of variability seen in SLP treatment time, which is not explained well by patient and injury characteristics, sets the stage for future analyses to associate treatments with outcomes.

Background/objective: Describe associations of patient characteristics and speech-language pathology (SLP) interventions provided during impatient rehabilitation for spinal cord injury (SCI) to outcomes at discharge and 1-year post-injury. Methods: Speech-language pathologists at six inpatient rehabilitation centers documented details of treatment provided. Least squares regression modeling was used to predict outcomes at discharge and 1-year injury anniversary. Cognitive, participation, and mood outcomes for a subsample of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cognitive-communication limitations (CCLs) were examined. Results: SLP treatment factors explain a small amount of variation in cognitive Functional Independence Measure (FIM), participation, and mood. Variation explained by treatment factors for cognitive outcomes at the time of discharge increased when the patient group was more homogeneous (patients with TBI and CCLs). More time in SLP cognitive-communication interventions had a negative relationship, while longer length of stay was positive. The added explanatory power was not seen for similar outcomes at 1-year post-injury. Conclusion: Patients with SCI who have the greatest need for interventions to address cognitive limitations due to TBI receive the most SLP cognitive-communication treatment and show the greatest amount of improvement during rehabilitation. Their cognitive functioning remained impaired at discharge; this likely accounts for the consistent finding that more hours of SLP cognitive-communication treatment is associated with lower cognitive FIM scores at discharge. Future research on individuals with dual SCI and TBI should include more comprehensive assessment of individual differences in cognitive performance in order to better examine the complex relationships between SLP treatments and outcomes. Note: This is the fifth of nine articles in this SCIRehab series.