title: Children's attentional skills 5 years post-TBI.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychology Studies, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Australia. catroppc@tpg.com.au
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catroppa
authors.forename: Vicki A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Sue A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haritou
authors.forename: Jeffrey V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Rosenfeld
mesh_terms: 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