Life Expectancy of Head Injured Men With and Without Epilepsy

THERE is evidence to suggest that men with head injuries have a higher death rate than the normal population. In a recent review of this subject, Walker and Erculei 1 noted that in the first 15 years after head injury, the death rate is three to four times greater than expected. However, in the available literature there is insufficient data to construct life expectancy tables. For this reason, when in the course of a follow-up study of World War I head injured men it became apparent that with some additional data life expectancy tables might be compiled, further information was sought and obtained from Bavarian bureaus of vital statistics. These sources have made it possible to develop the actuarial tables presented in this paper. The Experimental Series.— A study designed to determine the long-term effects of head injury was planned and carried out in 1964 to 1966, using World War