Evolution of the cognitive profile in school-aged patients with severe TBI during the first 2 years of neurorehabilitation. (November 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bardoni, Alessandra; Galbiati, Susanna; Recla, Monica; Pastore, Valentina; Formica, Francesca; Strazzer, Sandra
• Is Part Of: Brain injury. Volume 27:Number 12(2013)
• Page Start: 1395
• Page End: 1401
• Publication Date: 2013-11
• Subjects: Brain damage -- Periodicals; Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Periodicals; Brain Injuries -- Periodicals; 617.481
• DOI: 10.3109/02699052.2013.823652
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-9052

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Objective</italic>: Persistent post-injury cognitive, academic and behavioural deficits have been documented in children who sustained severe TBI during the school-age years. The major aim of this study was to examine and follow-up for 2 years the cognitive profile of a sample of post-injured patients (aged 6–16.11), in order to verify to what extent they recovered their intellectual functions after rehabilitation.</p> <p> <italic>Method</italic>: Twenty-six patients who received a specific neuropsychological treatment and three cognitive evaluations with WISC-III were selected from a pool of 77.</p> <p> <italic>Results</italic>: This group of patients showed a mild cognitive deficit at baseline, which improved over the 2 years to a borderline level. Despite the improvement in intellectual quotients and single sub-test scores achieved through rehabilitation, different recovery times were seen according to the function under study. The most common deficits are in processing speed, inferential and lexical-semantic skills.</p> <p> <italic>Conclusions</italic>: Detailed analysis of the WISC-III sub-tests allows for an accurate description of single cognitive functions after TBI. This allows one to make differential diagnoses between functional profiles and plan individualized rehabilitation treatments. Post-injured school-aged patients should receive rehabilitation for a period of at least 2 years, which is the time necessary for an at-least partial reorganization of basic cognitive functions.</p> </abstract>