Patterns of neuropsychological impairment after severe blunt head injury.
A consecutive series of 100 subjects with severe blunt head injuries was followed up 6 years after trauma. Neuropsychological test performances of 82 subjects and of a noninjured control group were analyzed by two principal components analyses (PCAs). Each PCA extracted 15 factors relating to a range of cognitive impairments, as well as neuropsychological features consistent with posttraumatic personality changes. Measures identified by the PCAs were applied to 85 head-injured subjects in the series to examine the incidence of impairment in four neuropsychological areas: disorders of learning and memory, neuropsychological features consistent with posttraumatic personality change, slowness in rate of information processing, and a range of basic neuropsychological skills. Overall, impairments occurred in 70% of the series. Disorders of learning and memory were the most common type of deficit (56.5%), with disturbances in basic neuropsychological skills the least frequent (16.5%). Variability among subjects with respect to the types and combinations of neuropsychological impairments was a characteristic feature of this clinical group, but the largest proportion (one-third) demonstrated isolated impairments. The implications of the incidence and selectivity of neuropsychological impairments are discussed.
Tate
R L
RL
Neuropsychology Department, Lidcombe Hospital, New South Wales, Australia.
Fenelon
B
B
Manning
M L
ML
Hunter
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010551:Personality; D011594:Psychometrics; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D014706:Verbal Learning; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*