Cognitive Outcome After Mild and Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury in Older Adults

Abstract

This paper presents findings on the cognitive outcome of older adults sustaining mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). Results indicate that mild TBI patients who are 50 years or older, unlike those with moderate TBI, exhibit cognitive functioning that is comparable to noninjured controls by 1-2-months postinjury. However, these patients continue to report significant anxiety, depression, and somatic preoccupation despite their improvement on objective neuropsychological measures. The lowest postresuscitation Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and the presence of intracranial pathology are more strongly associated with outcome than the durations of posttraumatic amnesia and impaired consciousness, possibly reflecting measurement issues in older persons who are likely to be injured in low velocity falls and to suffer delayed complications. A classification system that considers not only the GCS score but also the presence of intracranial pathology is sensitive to differences in the outcome of older adults, similar to the findings in young patients. The implications of these findings for older TBI patients and directions for research are discussed.