Grant: Project Grant

Brain injuries, including concussions, are becoming increasingly common among older adults, mainly because of falls. In emergency departments, clinicians use the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) to assess how serious a brain injury is and to guide early care decisions. However, the GCS was developed more than 50 years ago using data from younger adults and does not work as well in older people. As a result, older patients may appear alert and receive a reassuring score, even when they have a serious brain injury. This can lead to delays in diagnosis, inappropriate care, and worse outcomes. The goal of this project is to develop a version of the Glasgow Coma Scale that is better suited to older adults. Using a large trauma database from Quebec, we will examine how brain injuries present differently in older adults compared with younger patients. We will use advanced data analysis methods to create a new scoring tool, called the Geriatric Glasgow Coma Scale (GeriGCS), that more accurately reflects the true severity of brain injury in older adults. The GeriGCS is designed to remain simple and practical for use by paramedics and emergency clinicians. By improving early recognition of serious brain injuries, this tool has the potential to reduce missed severe injuries, support better treatment decisions, and ultimately improve outcomes for older adults receiving emergency care.