Relationships between predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors and executive functioning following mild traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACT

Introduction

The aim of this study was to determine the sociodemographic and MTBI-related variables associated with executive functioning (EF).

Methods

Based on the theoretical model of Hou and colleagues, data on predisposing (age, education, premorbid IQ), precipitating (post-traumatic amnesia, loss of consciousness, presence of frontal lesions, post-accident time to evaluation) and perpetuating (anxious and depressive affects and post-concussive symptoms) factors were retrospectively collected from the medical records of 172 patients with MTBI. EF data based on the 3 processes included in Miyake’s prediction model (2000) (updating, cognitive flexibility and inhibition) were collected using respectively the Digit span task of the Weschler – 4^th edition, the Trails A and B as well as the initiation time on the Tower of London- Drexel University.

Results

Updating was significantly associated with education, premorbid IQ, age, anxiety, and depressive affect. Inhibition was associated with education and age. No variable was associated with cognitive flexibility.

Conclusions

Following a MTBI, clinicians should consider that level of education and pre-morbid IQ may “predispose” patients to higher EF performances. They should also measure level of anxiety and depressive affect knowing that these may “perpetuate” some EF impairments (specifically the updating process).

KEYWORDS:

• Traumatic brain injury
• executive function
• cognitive reserve
• anxio-depressive
• age

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dre. Selma Greffou Mrs. Mitra Feyz for their help in accessing the retrospective data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.