Impact of Medical Comorbidities on Rehabilitation Outcomes Following TBI. A VA TBI Model Systems Study

Provider Perspectives of Facilitators and Barriers to Reaching and Utilizing Chronic Pain Healthcare for Persons With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Qualitative NIDILRR and VA TBI Model Systems Collaborative Project

“…Across civilian and military cohorts, chronic pain is associated with several negative outcomes including lower neurocognitive performance,5 reduced quality of life,6 as well as psychiatric4,7 and sleep disturbances 8,9. Similarly, the literature has shown that the presence of chronic pain in those with TBI is uniquely negatively associated with psychological health, rehabilitation, and community reintegration outcomes 9,10. Despite the existence of evidence-based treatments of chronic pain, little is known about how persons with TBI access and benefit from them.…”

“…8,9 Similarly, the literature has shown that the presence of chronic pain in those with TBI is uniquely negatively associated with psychological health, rehabilitation, and community reintegration outcomes. 9,10 Despite the existence of evidence-based treatments of chronic pain, little is known about how persons with TBI access and benefit from them.…”

Informing Our Understanding of Chronic Pain Epidemiology, Extreme Outcomes, and Healthcare Access Among Persons With Hospitalized TBI: A NIDILRR and VA TBI Model Systems Collaborative Project

“…Recent work has highlighted that TBI in the presence of comorbid chronic pain is significantly associated with greater disability, lower levels of community reintegration, and poor psychological health (depression and decreased satisfaction with life) 2–4. Given the limited treatment options for reversing the morbidity of TBI, addressing chronic pain in the aftermath of TBI has the potential to improve neurologic and psychosocial outcomes as well as overall quality of life 5–7…”

“…[2][3][4] Given the limited treatment options for reversing the morbidity of TBI, addressing chronic pain in the aftermath of TBI has the potential to improve neurologic and psychosocial outcomes as well as overall quality of life. [5][6][7] Pain can result from a variety of concurrent injuries after TBI including soft tissue or musculoskeletal pain (eg, wounds, sprains, burns, fractures), neuropathic sources (eg, spinal cord injury and peripheral nerve injury), and pain related to the TBI itself (eg, headache, spasticity, other neuropathic/central pain, and heterotopic ossification). There is a paucity of research investigating the overlap in these pain conditions for those with comorbid chronic pain and TBI.…”