VOCATIONAL OUTCOME OF APHASIC PATIENTS FOLLOWING SEVERE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

The incidence and course of aphasia, and its impact on vocational outc ome, were determined in a group of 351 patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Aphasia was found in 11.1%, the common forms being amnestic (56%, 22/39), expressive (10.3%, 4/39) and receptive (10.5%, 8/39), as found on the first language assessment. No age difference w as found between the aphasic and non-aphasic patients. Coma was more c ommon in the aphasics than the non-aphasics (95% and 82%, respectively ), although its mean duration was shorter. Aphasics had more severe lo comotor deficits (p < 0.01, Fisher test) and tended towards more sever e cognitive disorders (p = 0.07, Fisher test). There was no difference between the groups in incidence of behavioural disturbances or occupa tional outcome. Most of the aphasic patients improved after therapy, a nd two recovered completely. The presence of aphasia did not have nega tive prognostic implications for occupational outcome.