Neuropsychological function 23 years after mild traumatic brain injury: A comparison of outcome after paediatric and adult head injuries

Abstract

Primary objective: To the authors’ knowledge no study comparing very long-term neuropsychological outcome after mild paediatric and adult traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been published. The primary objective of this study was to compare neuropsychological outcome 23 years after mainly mild paediatric and adult TBI.

Research design: The study was a neuropsychological follow-up 23 years after a prospective head injury study conducted at a Norwegian public hospital.

Methods and procedures: One hundred and nineteen patients were assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Of these, 45 were paediatric TBI and 74 were adult TBI.

Main outcomes and results: Both the paediatric and adult groups obtained scores in the normal range. In the paediatric group significant relationships were found between head injury severity and current neuropsychological function. The most important predictors of poor outcome were length of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) and a combination of PTA and EEG pathology within 24 hours of injury. No influence of pre- and post-injury risk factors on current neuropsychological function was evident.

Conclusions: The findings indicate that children sustaining complicated mild TBI may be more vulnerable to development of chronic mild neuropsychological dysfunction than adults sustaining similar head injuries.

• Mild head injury
• TBI
• cognitive deficits
• neuropsychological impairment