Trajectories and associated factors of quality of life, global outcome, and post-concussion symptoms in the first year following mild traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the associated factors and change trajectories of quality of life (QoL), global outcome, and post-concussion symptoms (PCS) over the first year following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal study of 100 participants with mTBI from neurosurgical outpatient departments in Chiayi County District Hospitals in Taiwan. The checklist of post-concussion syndromes (CPCS) was used to assess PCS at enrollment and at 1, 3, and 12 months after mTBI; the glasgow outcome scale extended (GOSE), the quality of life after brain injured (QOLIBRI), Chinese version, and the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), Taiwan version, were used to assess mTBI global outcome and QoL at 1, 3, and 12 months after mTBI.

Results: Latent class growth models (LCGMs) indicated the change trajectories of QOLIBRI, PCS SF-36, MCS SF-36, GOSE, and PCS. Classes of trajectory were associated with age ≥40 years, unemployment at 1 month after injury, and educational level ≤12 years. Univariate analysis revealed that employment status at 1 month post-injury was correlated with the trajectories of QOLIBRI, PCS SF-36, MCS SF-36, and GOSE, but not PCS.

Conclusions: Employment status was the most crucial associated factor for QoL in individuals with mTBI at the 1-year follow-up. Future studies should explore the benefits of employment on QoL of individuals with mTBI.

Keywords: Global outcome; Mild traumatic brain injury; Post-concussion symptoms; Quality of life; Trajectory.