Children's attentional skills 5 years post-TBI.
OBJECTIVE
While a small number of research papers have reported findings on attentional deficits following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI), no study to date has reported findings in this area at 5 years post-TBI in very young children. This study examined attentional skills in a group of children who had sustained a mild, moderate, or severe TBI between the ages of 2 and 7 years.


METHODS
The sample comprised 70 children, 54 of these had sustained a TBI and 16 the non-injured control group. Children were assessed 5 years post-TBI, with focus on tests of attentional ability.


RESULTS
Attentional and processing speed (PS) deficits do occur and persist up to 5 years post-TBI, particularly following severe TBI in early childhood. Predictors of attentional outcomes varied depending on the component of attention investigated.


CONCLUSIONS
Those skills developing or emerging at time of injury (e.g., sustained attention, shifting attention, divided attention, PS) are more compromised and may not develop at a normal rate of post-injury.
Catroppa
Cathy
C
Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychology Studies, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Australia. catroppc@tpg.com.au
Anderson
Vicki A
VA
Morse
Sue A
SA
Haritou
Flora
F
Rosenfeld
Jeffrey V
JV
D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors