Descriptive findings from the traumatic brain injury model systems national data base

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Article in a special issue dedicated to research findings from the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems (TBIMS). (See AN XJ32562 to XJ32568 for the articles.) This article describes the current status of the TBIMS National Data Base and presents major descriptive findings for 660 individuals consecutively discharged from four TBIMS centers between March 1989 and September 1995. The TBI patients were typically in their mid 30s, male (77%), and white (51%); had a high school education or less (71%); and were as likely as not to be employed at the time of injury (50%). The majority of patients had vehicle related injuries (56%). Patients tended to have moderate to severe brain injuries, with 77% experiencing loss of consciousness and 98% experiencing posttraumatic amnesia. Functional status as measured by the Functional Independence Measure showed improvement from an average level of requiring Moderate Assistance at rehabilitation admission to an average level between Moderate Independence and Complete Independence at one year post injury.

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