Abstract
The Westmead PTA Scale was designed to measure objectively the period of posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) in head-injured adults. This paper, the first of a series, reports on research aimed at adapting the Westmead PTA Scale for use with head-injured children. The first stage of this research involved gathering normative data from hospitalized, non head-injured children between the ages of 6 and 16 years. The performance of 90 children on the Westmead PTA Scale is described. Two findings emerged from the data. First, the performance of 6- and 7-year-olds on the scale was significantly different from that of older age groups. Second, 94% of the children over the age of 7 met the Westmead PTA Scale's criteria. The Westmead PTA Scale may, therefore, be considered suitable for investigation with head-injured children over the age of 7 years.