Competitive re-employment after severe traumatic brain injury: clinical, cognitive and behavioural predictive variables

Abstract

Findings seem to confirm the opinion that a significant relationship exists between the initial TBI severity level, especially as indicated by the duration of coma and PTA, and eventual return to work at the final discharge from facilities.

Functional outcome 10 years after traumatic brain injury: Its relationship with demographic, injury severity, and cognitive and emotional status

“…GCS, used as the other measure of injury severity, did not significantly differentiate those with good from those with poor outcomes. Previous studies have also reported PTA duration to be a stronger predictor of outcome than GCS (Cattelani et al, 2002;Doig et al, 2001;Fleming et al, 1999;Sherer et al, 2002;Van der Naalt et al, 1999).…”

“…This variability has led to a focus on identifying factors predicting or indicating functional outcome. Studies conducted up to 3 years after injury have found that outcome may be influenced by injury severity, as measured by Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores or duration of posttraumatic amnesia (PTA), demographic factors, including age, gender, and preinjury education and employment, as well as postinjury cognitive and social factors (Brown et al, 2005;Cattelani et al, 2002;Dikmen et al, 1995b;Fleming et al, 1999;Godfrey et al, 1993;Gollaher et al, 1998;Ip et al, 1995;Levin et al, 1990;Pastorek et al, 2004;Ponsford et al, 1995;Rothweiler et al, 1998;Van der Naalt et al, 1999;Van Zomeren & Van den Burg, 1985).…”

Hemispheric and executive influences on low-level language processing after traumatic brain injury

“…While there are differences between individuals, problems with memory are the most commonly described cognitive sequela after TBI (Raskin, 2000), but executive functioning (including working memory and attention), speed of processing, and language can all be affected as well. Several researchers have found that multiple aspects of cognition (including various forms of memory, attention, speech and communication factors) are important in predicting return to work (Cattelani, Tanzi, Lombardi, & Mazzucchi, 2002;Drake, Gray, Yoder, Pramuka, & Llewellyn, 2000;Isaki & Turkstra, 2000).…”

Traumatic Brain Injury: Short, Long, and Very Long-Term Vocational Outcomes

“…Additionally, 23 (13.5%) of people with TBI had returned to work immediately after inpatient rehabilitation but were no longer working at time of follow-up (Fleming, Tooth, Hassell, & Chan, 1999). Results in other studies with similar or slightly smaller sample sizes, which were alike in terms of analyses showed 36% to 67% employment rates for two to five years post-injury (Gollaher et al, 1998;Cattelani, Tanzi, Lombardi, & Mazzucchi, 2002;Fraser, Machamer, Temkin, Dikmen, & Doctor, 2006;Sherer et al, 1998). It is important to note, however, that samples were not always comparable, with varying degrees of severity and some including students in return to work (RTW) estimates.…”