A Comparison of Satisfaction With Life and the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended After Traumatic Brain Injury: An Analysis of the TRACK-TBI Pilot Study.

Abstract

To evaluate the relationship between satisfaction with life (SWL) and functional outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury Pilot study (TRACK-TBI Pilot) enrolled patients at 3 US Level I trauma centers within 24 hours of TBI. Patients were grouped by outcome measure concordance (good-recovery/good-satisfaction, impaired-recovery/impaired-satisfaction) and discordance (good-recovery/impaired-satisfaction, impaired-recovery/good-satisfaction). Logistic regression was utilized to determine predictors of discordance. Functional outcome: Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE); SWL: Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Of the 586 enrolled subjects, 298 had completed both outcome measures at 6-month follow-up; the correlation between GOSE and SWLS was 0.380. Patients with impaired-recovery (GOSE < 7)/impaired-satisfaction (SWLS < 20) were more likely to have mild TBI (83% vs 62%, P = .012), baseline depression (42% vs 15%, P < .0001), and 6-month depression (59% vs 21%, P < .0001) when compared with patients with impaired-recovery/good-satisfaction. Patients with good-recovery/impaired-satisfaction were more likely to have baseline depression (31% vs 13%, P < .0001) and 6-month depression (33% vs 6%, P < .0001) compared with good-recovery/good-satisfaction. Correlation between SWL and functional outcome was not strong, and depression may modulate the association. Future research should account for functional, mental health, and patient-centered outcomes when assessing TBI recovery.