Abstract

Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Every year, about 1.5 million affected people die and several millions receive emergency treatment. Most of the burden (90%) is in low and middle-income countries. The costs of care depend on the level of disability. The burden of care after traumatic brain injury is caused by disability as well as by psychosocial and emotional sequelae of injury. The final consequence of brain injury is the reduction of quality of life.

It is very difficult to predict the outcome after traumatic brain injury. The basic clinical model included four predictors: age, score in Glasgow coma scale, pupil reactivity, and the presence of major extracranial injury. These are the neuroradiological markers of recovery after TBI (CT, MRI and PET) and biomarkers: genetic markers of ApoE Gene, ectoenzyme CD 38 (cluster of differentiation 38), serum S100B, myelin basic protein (MBP), neuron specific endolase (NSE), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GPAP).

These are many clinimetric scales which are helpful in prognosing after head injury. In this review paper, the most commonly used scales evaluating the level of consciousness after traumatic brain injury have been presented.