TITLE:
Cognitive Rehabilitation after Geriatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Transitional Care from Hospital to Nursing Home
AUTHORS:
Liyun Qiu, Qiuli Liang, Jiahe Wei, Hongcheng Shi
KEYWORDS:
Geriatric Traumatic Brain Injury, Cognitive Dysfunction, Multidisciplinary Integrated Care, Transitional Care, Integrated Medical and Elderly Care, Rehabilitation
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.14 No.9,
September
16,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Geriatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an increasingly prominent public health concern. With the rapid aging of the global population, the incidence of TBI in older adults continues to rise. Objective: This review aims to synthesize the current state of domestic and international research on cognitive rehabilitation following geriatric TBI, to analyze the major challenges in this field, and to propose future research directions. Methods: The authors conducted a comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI databases for relevant studies published between 2020 and 2026, and synthesized the findings in a narrative review format. Findings: Geriatric TBI exhibits distinct characteristics in etiology, pathophysiology, and rehabilitation trajectory that differ significantly from those observed in younger populations. Multidisciplinary integrated care and transitional care are widely recognized as core directions for future rehabilitation service models. However, the current literature lacks intervention protocols specifically designed for older adults, and systematic rehabilitation transition pathways encompassing the hospital-to-nursing-home continuum remain absent. Non-pharmacological cognitive strategies represent the most extensively studied interventions to date, though their long-term efficacy requires further validation. Health economic evaluations indicate that combined rehabilitation therapies offer favorable cost-effectiveness ratios. Conclusion: Given the complex and diverse rehabilitation needs of geriatric TBI patients, an effective pathway spanning the entire continuum from acute care to long-term care is urgently needed. Future research should continue to investigate the underlying mechanisms of rehabilitation interventions while simultaneously developing integrated, patient-centered protocols that translate into tangible benefits for this population.