Important and novel work
In a linked editorial, Robynne Braun, MD, PhD, with the department of neurology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, notes that there have been “few prospective studies examining postinjury outcomes on this longer timescale, especially in mild TBI, making this an important and novel body of work.”
The study “effectively demonstrates that changes in function across multiple domains continue to occur well beyond the conventionally tracked 6- to 12-month period of injury recovery,” Dr. Braun writes.
The observation that over the 7-year follow-up, a substantial proportion of patients with mTBI and msTBI exhibited a pattern of decline on the GOSE suggests that they “may have needed more ongoing medical monitoring, rehabilitation, or supportive services to prevent worsening,” Dr. Braun adds.
At the same time, the improvement pattern on the GOSE suggests “opportunities for recovery that further rehabilitative or medical services might have enhanced.”
The study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Institute on Aging, the National Football League Scientific Advisory Board, and the U.S. Department of Defense. Dr. Brett and Dr. Braun have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.