The Impact of Alcohol Use on Outcome and Recovery after Traumatic Brain Injury.
This project has completed its research activities and is now closed. Check REHABDATA for documents.
Kathleen F. Pagulanyan. 1959 NE Pacific Street, HSB BB 919, Box 356490. Seattle, WA 98195.
E-mail:farkat@u.washington.edu. Principal Investigator: Kathleen F. Pagulayan. Public Contact Phone: 206/616-0371. Fax: 206/685-3244. Project Number: H133F060032. About grant numbers. Start Date: August 14, 2006. Length: 12 months. NIDILRR Officer: A. Cate Miller, PhD. NIDILRR Funding: FY 06 $65,000. Abstract: Pre-injury alcohol abuse is common among individuals who sustain traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Although alcohol consumption generally declines following TBI, as many as half of individuals who were moderate to heavy drinkers prior to the injury return to this level of drinking following the injury. High levels of alcohol consumption may impede neurological recovery, contribute to additional head injury, decrease benefit from rehabilitation, and ultimately impact functional recovery such as return to work and school. Despite its clinical significance, the factors that underlie return to problematic drinking have not been clearly elucidated, the temporal course of relapse is not clear, and the impact of drinking on cognitive and functional recovery is not fully understood. This study: (1) uses archival data to provide information about the incidence of problematic drinking at four time points post-injury (1 month, 6 months, 12 months, and 3-5 years) and individuals with complicated mild to severe TBI who were consecutively admitted to the emergency department; (2) identifies demographic, emotional, and injury-related factors that are associated with problematic drinking at each time point to identify risk factors for increased alcohol consumption; (3) evaluates neuropsychological performance over time compared between pre-morbid heavy drinkers who did and did not return to drinking post-injury in determining the cognitive impact of this behavior; and (4) evaluates the relationship between functional outcome and post-injury alcohol consumption, while controlling for pre-injury alcohol use and blood alcohol level at time of injury. This may provide considerable information necessary for effective alcohol treatments post-injury while also providing important information to persons who have sustained TBI, their families, and rehabilitation professionals. Descriptors: Alcohol, Functional outcome, Rehabilitation, Substance abuse, Traumatic Brain Injury.
