Early rehabilitation and participation in focus - a Danish perspective on patients with severe acquired brain injury

Early neurorehabilitation is an interdisciplinary field. Thus, in order to eliminate unnecessary barriers for individuals with severe acquired brain injury in early rehabilitation, we need rehabilitation science that supports both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Participation can be studied directly and indirectly. This commentary proposes that active participation and the "lived body'' are essential terms in early rehabilitation of severe ABI patients, and a description of how these terms are interpreted and handled in the practice is needed.