Long Term Study to Determine Most Effective Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injuries

11 health-care facilities in the United States and Canada that will share a $4.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to identify the most effective rehabilitation therapies for traumatic brain injuries.

The five-year study will collect detailed records on more than 2,300 patients nationwide who have suffered moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries.

The study aims to isolate components of treatments to determine how, and to what degree, each is associated with improved function. When researchers identify those treatments, care can be standardized at hospitals across the country.

Unlike many studies, this research will not test experimental treatments against the current standard of care. Instead researchers will keep daily logs of the care patients receive, which could include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and psychotherapy.

Researchers then will analyze the data to determine which components of the therapies were most effective in improving outcomes for patients with different types and severity of injuries. Patients will be followed for a year after discharge to assess their quality of life, including whether they were able to live independently.

Hopefully this study will end the controversy surrounding the effectiveness of long term rehabilitation following brain trauma and the reluctance on the part of many insurance companies to pay for this expensive treatment.