Severe disorders of consciousness after acquired brain injury: A single-centre long-term follow-up study.

Objectives: To assess long-term clinical outcome, functional independence and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in acquired brain injury (ABI) patients with a disorder of consciousness at admission to inpatient rehabilitation.

Methods: We selected patients from a cohort of ABI patients from a single centre. In addition to mortality, we measured level of consciousness with the Coma Remission Scale, functional independence with the Barthel Index, as well as generic and condition-specific HRQOL with the EQ5D and the "Quality of Life after Brain Injury" (QOLIBRI) respectively.

Long-term health-related quality-of-life in patients with acquired brain injury and their caregivers.

Objectives: The present study aimed to assess long-term health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) and potential predictors as well as burden in caregivers of patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). Furthermore, depressive symptoms, well-being, HRQoL and happiness were evaluated in caregivers and patients who had regained communication skills.

Research Design: Prospective cross-sectional survey.

Rehabilitation outcome of unconscious traumatic brain injury patients.

Outcome prediction of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients with severe disorders of consciousness (DOC) at the end of their time in an intensive care setting is important for clinical decision making and counseling of relatives, and constitutes a major challenge. Even the question of what constitutes an improved outcome is controversially discussed. We have conducted a retrospective cohort study for the rehabilitation dynamics and outcome of TBI patients with DOC.