SCREENING AND OUTCOMES OF CO-OCCURRING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AMONG PEOPLE WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY: A SCOPING REVIEW

Traumatic brain injury, when this occurs with traumatic spinal cord injury, is often referred to as a dual diagnosis. Dual diagnosis, while often missed, is common and rates vary associated with difficulties consistently identifying the traumatic brain injury, especially when the focus is on the traumatic spinal cord injury. Impacts of co-occurring traumatic brain injury appear greater relative to spinal cord injury alone but only a few studies analysed outcomes based on traumatic brain injury severity.

• 1
  Screening under-estimated traumatic brain injury incidence when approaches relied on inconsistently collected traumatic brain injury indicators, especially for mild traumatic brain injury.
• 2
  Although mixed, outcomes among persons with moderate to severe co-occurring traumatic brain injury especially, appeared poorer than those with spinal cord injury alone.
• 3
  Impacts of co-occurring traumatic brain injury appear greater relative to SCI alone but few studies analysed outcomes based on traumatic brain injury severity.