The accuracy of adult recall for early mild traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Background: Childhood mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has been associated with negative adult outcomes. Effective interventions require identification of the injury event. There is currently little information regarding the accuracy of adult recall of childhood mTBI.

Method: Prospectively collected information from a large birth cohort was used to examine adult recall accuracy at age 25 for 161 childhood mTBI events occurring before age 10.

Results: At age 25 cohort members recalled 11 outpatient injuries and 16 inpatient injuries. Recall accuracy increased with age. Logistic regression analysis distinguished between respondents who reported and did not report a childhood mTBI event correctly classifying 84.5% of cases. Age at injury, injury severity and loss of consciousness (LoC) made a unique statistically significant contribution to the model.

Conclusions: Most childhood mTBI events are not recalled in adulthood. Age at injury, injury severity and LoC significantly increase likelihood of recall and should be used in measures that evaluate whether injury has occurred.

Implications for rehabilitation

• Traumatic brain injury occurs frequently and often results in ongoing deficits in attention, concentration, executive function and later mental health problems.

• Identification of a history of traumatic brain injury is essential to ensure that appropriate rehabilitative input is provided.

• Rehabilitation professionals need to be aware that mental health problems may be secondary to a prior traumatic brain injury.

• It is important for rehabilitation professionals elicit an accurate history of traumatic brain injury to ensure that their treatment plans are tailored to the needs of this group.

Keywords:

• Adult recall
• childhood
• traumatic brain injury

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.