Quality of life of mild head injury patients in the acute and long-term periods

Abstract

The aim of the work was to estimate the quality of life of patients with mild traumatic brain injury in the acute and longterm periods. The complex study of 65 patients (42 men and 23 women) aged 20 to 60 years in acute traumatic brain injury of mild severity (40 of them with a concussion, 25 - with a mild brain contusion) was carried out. 35 patients were examined in the long term. All patients had clinical and neurological examination. We used the NIHSS, Barthell scales, skull radiography, computer tomography of the brain, Montgomery - Asberg Depression scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale, Spielberger test, a questionnaire and a scheme developed by the national central autonomic diseases. Quality of life was examined using a MOS SF-36 questionnaire. Study of the emotional status in the acute period showed slight levels of depression, highly reactive and moderately expressed personal anxiety. Quality of life was decreased on all scales of the MOS SF-36. Correlation analysis revealed the dependence of the quality of life of mental and emotional status. In the long-term continued to remain increased level of depression, high reactive and moderate personal anxiety, increased subjective and objective manifestations of autonomic dysfunction. Self-assessment of quality of life has revealed the results are the same as in the acute period of brain injury on the Social Functioning, Role-Physical, Vitality, Mental Health scales. The high quality of life in the acute period reduces the risk of psycho-autonomic syndrome in the long term. In the acute period of mild traumatic brain injury need to use a diagnostic questionnaire mOs SF-36, which will in these patients to predict the level of social and psycho-emotional components of quality of life.