Cognition and return to work after mild/moderate traumatic brain injury: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Approximately two percent of the United States population are traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors. The unemployment rate among them is substantial. Cognitive skills are essential to perform any job. OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the literature on cognitive rehabilitation (CR) related to mild/moderate TBI to learn the influence of cognition on return to work (RTW) post TBI. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of the studies on CR related to RTW post TBI that were published between 2000 and 2015. RESULTS: We critically reviewed 30 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Ten studies highlighted cognition as a predictor variable, seven studies demonstrated support for cognitive testing in RTW assessments, and 13 studies showed the efficacy of CR in facilitating RTW post TBI. CONCLUSION: Cognition plays a significant role in predicting and facilitating RTW in patients with TBI.