Predictors of cognitive gains during inpatient rehabilitation for older adults with traumatic brain injury

Introduction Traumatic brain injury (TBI) among older adults is increasing and can affect cognition. To effectively meet the rehabilitation needs of older adults, a clearer picture is needed of patient‐, clinical‐, and facility‐level characteristics that affect cognitive recovery during inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) stays. Objective To identify patient, clinical, and facility factors associated with cognitive recovery among older adults with TBI who received IRF care. Design Secondary data analysis. Setting Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation‐participating IRFs in the United States. Patients Patients were 65 to 99 years of age at IRF admission for TBI. Participants received IRF care between 2002 and 2018 (N = 137,583); 56.3% were male; 84.2% were white; mean age was 78.7 years. Main Outcome Measure Change in Functional Independence Measure Cognitive Score (FIM‐Cognitive) from IRF admission to discharge, categorized as favorable (FIM‐cognitive score gains ≥3 points) or poor (FIM‐cognitive score gains