Abstract:
Background: Neurocognitive impairment is a clinically significant acquired cognitive decline in one or more six principal cognitive domains Neurocognitive impairment poses considerable public health challenges worldwide. Traumatic brain injury is one of the conditions which are affecting younger and older individuals, and elevating risk of developing neurocognitive impairment and associated with adverse outcomes including prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality. However, there is not enough evidence about the prevalence and associated factors of neurocognitive impairment in people who survives from traumatic brain injury. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap.
Objectives: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of neurocognitive impairment among traumatic brain injury survivors attending treatment in surgical referral clinic at Jimma medical center, Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia, 2021.
Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study design was employed. Data was collected through interviewer administered pre-tested and structured questionnaire from 326 consecutively selected patients with traumatic brain injury attending follow up treatment at JUMC from august 2021 to september2021. Neurocognitive status was assessed by using mini-mental status examination (adapted). Data was entered into Epi data version 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for Social Science version 25 (SPSS 25.0) for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable Logistic regressions were computed to test association between exposure variables and outcome variable. Adjusted odd ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval was calculated to test strength of association and Statistical significance was set at p-value of < 0.05 in the final model.
Results: The prevalence of neurocognitive impairment was 12.58%. Age older than 60year (AOR=5.96.; 95% of CI: 1.83,19.36), history of mental illness (AOR=2.52.; 95% of CI: 1.045,6.09), history of comorbid medical illness (AOR=3.012.; 95% of CI: 1.02,8.88) low Glasgow coma scale score (AOR=6.99.; 95% of CI: 2.73,17.91), and past history of head injury (AOR=4.817.; 95% of CI: 2.004,11.57),were associated with neurocognitive impairment.
Conclusion: The prevalence of neurocognitive impairment in this study was 12.58. Age group older than 60 year, having comorbid medical and mental illness, having low Glasgow coma scale score, having past history of head injury were variables become significantly associated with neurocognitive impairment. The finding of this study create good alarm to be alert to give attention on routine screening of neurocognitive impairment in patients with traumatic brain injury and to give special concern to patients with above stated factors.
