title: Cognitive and adaptive outcomes and age at insult effects after non-traumatic coma.
abstract: Cognitive and adaptive behavioural outcome were studied in the identified survivors of a population based study of non-traumatic coma (NTC) in childhood. Children were assessed early (six weeks) and late (12 months) after NTC. At least 7% of those children in whom no suspicions of prior neurodevelopmental morbidity existed showed moderate or severe disability following NTC. Children over 2 years of age at insult showed some improvement between early and late assessments; however, children below 2 years showed no improvement. Differing age at insult effects were observed between aetiological groups. A relation between early age at first insult and poor outcome was particularly evident among children experiencing NTC caused by epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Neuroscience Group, Department of Child Health, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 4LP, UK. r.j.forsyth@newcastle.ac.uk
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Forsyth
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Borrill
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stilgoe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kendall
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Eyre
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003128:Coma / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011379:Prognosis; D011594:Psychometrics; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome