Effects of Concomitant Spinal Cord Injury and Brain Injury on Medical and Functional Outcomes and Community Participation

This study investigates the outcomes of individuals with both spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as dual diagnosis, compared to those with only SCI or TBI. Researchers compared medical, psychological, functional, and community outcomes among the three groups to understand the impact of dual diagnosis on community reintegration. The study found that individuals with dual diagnosis achieved similar levels of recovery and community participation as those with SCI or TBI alone, suggesting that longer rehabilitation periods may help improve outcomes for this population.

• 1
  Individuals with dual diagnosis (SCI and TBI) showed similar functional outcomes to those with SCI alone at rehabilitation discharge.
• 2
  Dual diagnosis participants had significantly longer acute and rehabilitation hospital admissions compared to TBI participants.
• 3
  All groups achieved similar levels of community reintegration, with dual diagnosis participants reporting the highest level of productive engagement.