Files
Date of Graduation
5-2026
Description
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) remain a major public health concern, and increasing evidence goes to show the significance of the effect of age in quality of care, diagnosis, and recovery outcomes. In rural states, such as Arkansas, where research has shown a lack of resources and higher fatality rates among TBI patients, healthcare professionals can become better informed and equipped as a result of research efforts to uncover the effects of age on cause and recovery for inpatient TBI individuals in the early stages (Daugherty et al., 2022). Current research and prior evidence suggests that older individuals are more likely to suffer TBIs in general, more likely to have incurred TBI through a fall, and have poorer outcomes as compared to younger populations with more positive prognosis- even if initial injury is similar between the two groups (Winter et al., 2022). This study utilized retrospective analysis to extract data from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Brain Injury Registry. It included Arkansas residents that have incurred a traumatic brain injury and were admitted as patients with a GCS score less than 12 for adults and 13 for pediatrics. Patient age, injury cause, and measures of injury severity and recovery were noted during the acute inpatient phase, then analyzed. Findings included a majority of the admitted patients in the older adulthood age classification (65+), having injuries largely due to falls, and had higher mortality rates compared to their younger counterparts. Additionally, adults in young adulthood through older adulthood presented with higher GCS scores at initial presentation, then lower GCS scores at discharge comparatively. Exploring this relationship can provide clinicians with information to better diagnose, treat, and assist their patients in the long term through measures like higher efficiency in initial care, reducing misdiagnosis, supporting patient education in rehabilitation and injury prevention measures, and to emphasize the importance of personalized care. This research is especially relevant in the state of Arkansas, where large rural populations underscore the significance of raising awareness of the seriousness of traumatic brain injuries and encourage Arkansas healthcare providers to administer careful and comprehensive care.
Publication Date
2026
Document Type
Book
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy
Advisor/Mentor
Wheeler, Steven
Committee Member
Danley, Jessica
Disciplines
Speech Pathology and Audiology | Trauma
Keywords
Research-Based
Citation
Jones, A., Wheeler, S., & Danley, J. (2026). Exploring the Impact of Age on Traumatic Brain Injury Cause and Recovery in Arkansas: A Retrospective Review. 2026 Honors Symposium. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/coesym26/21
