The increase in the incidence of traumatic head injury in modern populations and the provision of adequate hospital services for them have become major matters of concern.

Increased numbers of victims of traumatic head injury survive due to the improved understanding of the pathophysiology of brain, and better post-traumatic emergency treatment and neurosurgical procedures. The rehabilitation of these patients began only 15 years ago. The problems encountered are numerous, such as motor and sensory deficits, cognitive perceptual deficits, speech/language problems, memory deficits, social adaptation and behavior disturbances, etc.

For these reasons we present the summary of our experiences with 30 cases of traumatic head injury treated during the past 3 years in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of the Presbyterian Medical Center in Chonju. The findings are as follows;

1) Seven cases(23.3%) were in their 4 th decade. Twenty-six cases were male, 4 female: the male/female ratio thus being 6.5:1.

2) Mean period of total hospital stay was 108.1 days; mean period of rehabilitation department admission was 47.5 days.

3) Mean follow-up period from the time of head injury was 28 months.

4) The most common cause of injury was traffic accidents(83.4%) and the most common source of hospital payment was motor vehicle accident insurance.

5) Stupor was the most frequent mental status on admission. The patients' level of consciousness improved steadily after transfer to the Rehabilitation department and during the followup period.

6) The most frequent (7 cases, 23.3%) score of the Glasgow Coma Scale on admission was 3~8. After transfer to the Rehabilitation department and at the end of the follow-up period the most frequent score was 13~15.

7) Cerebral contusion was identified in 28 cases, intracranial hematoma in 25, skull fracture in 19.

8) Sixteen cases(53.3%) had associated injuries, fractures being most frequent.

9) The sequelae of traumatic head injury observed included heterotopic ossification(10.7%), frozen shoulder(16.7%), motor weakness(80.0%), speech/language problems(66.7%), bladder incontinence(46.7%), bowel incontinence(33.3%), swallowing difficulty(10.0%), peripheral nerve injury(10.0%), post-traumatic epilepsy(16.7%).

10) Dysrhythmia was noted in 12 cases(54.5%) on EEG.

11) In activities of daily living, most patients(27~29 cases) were independent in eating, dressing, light hygiene, transfer activities and ambulation at the completion of the follow-up period.

12) Thirteen cases(48.1%) had residual perceptual deficits on the Motor Free Visual Perception Test, who had tested.

13) Sixteen cases(33.4%) had a subnormal IQ score.

14) In 5 cases(25%), an organic brain syndrome was suspected on the Bender Gestalt Test.

15) In thirteen cases tested with MMPI, scales of F, hypochondriasis, hysteria, and depression were higher than control group.

16) Follow-up showed that 5 patients held jobs, such as driver, farmer, and officer, although they complained of headache, memory deficits, and speech/language problems. Of the 5 students among the patient population, 1 left school in midcourse.