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Date of Graduation

5-2026

Description

Traumatic brain injury remains a major public health concern, and increasing evidence demonstrates 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 persons with TBI, healthcare professionals can become better informed and equipped to optimize recovery and rehabilitation as a result of research efforts to explore the effects of age from the standpoint of cause and recovery (Daugherty et al., 2022). This study was a retrospective analysis involving data covering a two-year period extracted from the Arkansas Traumatic Brain Injury Registry, information collected from inpatient facilities across Arkansas in conjunction with University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The study explores various characteristics associated with age, including Glasgow Coma Scale score at admission and discharge, length of initial inpatient stay, gender, and cause of injury. A total of 1072 individuals admitted to hospital following brain injury between 1/1/2023 and 12/31/ 2024 were included in the analysis. The most common category of these hospital admissions was older adult, ages 65 years and older (n=425). Tentative findings suggest that age was positively correlated with injury severity at admission and inversely correlated with injury severity as discharge. Additionally, age was inversely correlated with length of initial hospital stay. Exploring these relationships can provide clinicians with information to better manage recovery and support prevention. This research is particularly relevant in Arkansas, where large rural populations underscore the significance of raising awareness of traumatic brain injury. The study also provides Arkansas healthcare providers with age related information about cause of injury and characteristics associated with recovery 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

Disciplines

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Keywords

Health

Exploring the Impact of Age on Traumatic Brain Injury Cause and Recovery in Arkansas: A Retrospective Review

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