Awareness and distress after traumatic brain injury: a relative's perspective.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between relatives' distress level and their ratings of impaired awareness for persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI).


METHODS
Participants were 25 patients with TBI, 16 with probably dementia, and 15 with memory complaints but no dementia. Participants completed the Barrow Neurological Institute Screen for Higher Cerebral Functions. Relatives of all patients completed the Patient Competency Rating Scale (Relative Form). Relatives also rated their distress level on a scale from 0 (no distress) to 10 (severe distress) and then rated the patient's level of awareness of their difficulties, also on a scale from 0 (not aware) to 10 (completely aware).


METHODS
Clinical neuropsychology outpatient service of a neurological institute and medical center.


RESULTS
For relatives of patients with TBI, a significant correlation of -0.52 (P = .006) was found. Correlations for the dementia and memory complaint groups were -0.62 (P = .03) and -0.39 (P = .20), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of brain dysfunction associated with neuropsychological disturbances appears to influence the magnitude of the relationship between the distress level of family members and their ratings of impaired awareness in persons with TBI.
Prigatano
George P
GP
Division of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA. gprigat@chw.edu
Borgaro
Susan
S
Baker
Jason
J
Wethe
Jennifer
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*