Recovery in Memory Function, and its Relationship to Academic Success, at 24 Months Following Pediatric TBI*

*This research was supported by the Australian Research Council, the Royal Children's Hospital Research Foundation, and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (Royal Children's Hospital, Victoria, Australia).

Abstract

While a number of research papers have reported findings on memory deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI), only limited studies have monitored the recovery of these skills over time. The present study examined memory ability and its effect on academic success in a group of children who had sustained a mild, moderate, or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Results showed that the severe TBI group exhibited greater deficits on memory tasks, irrespective of modality, in the acute, 6-, 12-, and 24-month postinjury stages, in comparison to mild and moderate TBI groups. Performance on academic measures was dependent on both injury severity and task demands. Preinjury academic ability and verbal memory indices best predicted academic success.

Keywords:

• traumatic brain injury
• children
• memory
• recovery

Notes

*This research was supported by the Australian Research Council, the Royal Children's Hospital Research Foundation, and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (Royal Children's Hospital, Victoria, Australia).