Traumatic brain injury in a child psychiatry outpatient clinic: a controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate the similarity of children with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly mild TBI, to matched children without such a history, within a child psychiatry outpatient clinic.


METHODS
This is a chart review of patients presenting to a child psychiatry outpatient clinic over a 3-year period. Children with TBI were matched by age, sex, race, and social class to children with no history of TBI. Axis I and II diagnoses, use of special education services, and IQ scores were compared.


RESULTS
Seventy-four (5.6%) of 1,333 consecutive clinic cases had a definite TBI. Of these, 64 were mild. Only 3 of 59 comparisons that were made between TBI and control subjects were significant. A developmental communication disorder cluster was significantly more frequent in the TBI group. Autism and a pervasive developmental disorder cluster were significantly more frequent in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
In a child psychiatry clinic, patients with a history of TBI are virtually indistinguishable from matched children without TBI. Caution should be exercised before attributing the child's problems, especially long-term problems, to the TBI unless the injury was severe or the child is exhibiting related phobic or posttraumatic stress symptomatology.
Max
J E
JE
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA.
Dunisch
D L
DL
D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D010045:Outpatients