Rehabilitation and Outcomes in Patients after Traumatic Brain Injury Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit…

Cohort studyNeurotrauma reports· 2026

Rehabilitation and Outcomes in Patients after Traumatic Brain Injury Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: Results from the CENTER-TBI Study.

Nada Andelic, Diego Rivera, Laiene Olabarrieta-Landa … CENTER-TBI Participants and Investigators

Brain Injury MedicineCohort studyClinical practiceQ3IF 1.9

Rehabilitation access after traumatic brain injury nearly doubled over the first year

Rehabilitation and Outcomes in Patients after Traumatic Brain Injury Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: Results from the CENTER-TBI Study.

Nada Andelic … CENTER-TBI Participants and Investigators

Neurotrauma reports · 2026

Background

Despite clinical guidelines for the management of traumatic brain injury (traumatic brain injury), evidence-based rehabilitation programmes and large-scale studies evaluating rehabilitation provision and outcomes remain limited.

Purpose

This study aimed to (1) describe rehabilitation services delivered to patients admitted to the intensive care unit (intensive care unit) after traumatic brain injury, (2) examine associations between rehabilitation support and functional outcome, emotional distress, and traumatic brain injury-specific health-related quality of life (health-related quality of life) at 12 months post-injury, and (3) assess the stability of outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months post-injury.

Methods

Were adults (≥18 years) admitted to the intensive care unit who reported rehabilitation use and completed follow-up assessments.

n = 661 patients

Results

Share of patients receiving rehabilitation rose from 3 to 12 months post-injury.

30.6%

3 months

51.3%

12 months

More results

The study included 661 patients (72.3% male; mean age 46.7 years).

At 12-month post-injury, 87% achieved favorable recovery (Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended 5-8), with mild depressive symptoms, minimal anxiety, and a mean QOLIBRI-OS score of 65.7.

More results

Delayed initiation of rehabilitation, older age, lower education, unemployment, greater injury severity, and road traffic-related injuries were associated with poorer functional outcomes and lower health-related quality of life.

Pre-injury psychiatric disorders predicted higher emotional distress.

“

Conclusion

Early and well-coordinated rehabilitation remains essential to optimize recovery and long-term quality of life after traumatic brain injury.

Rehabilitation and Outcomes in Patients after Traumatic Brain Injury Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: Results from the CENTER-TBI Study.

Rehabilitation and Outcomes in Patients after Traumatic Brain Injury Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: Results from the CENTER-TBI Study.

Related papers