title: Attributions of behavior in the pediatric mild closed head injury (CHI) population.
abstract: Forty-one children between the ages of 6 and 11 years with a history of a mild closed head injury and 23 age-, gender-, and IQ-matched typically developing control children participated. All of the children in the CHI sample were referred for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan at 3 months post-injury and children in the CHI sample were further divided into MRI-Negative (n=31) and MRI-Positive (n=10) conditions according to the MRI results. Parents and teachers completed behavioral checklists at three points, including just prior to the MRI and 6 months post-injury. Prior to the MRI (Time 2), in both samples of children with a CHI, parents reported an increase in externalizing symptoms after the CHI. At 6 months post-injury (Time 3: post-MRI), parents of children in the MRI-Positive group did not report any significant changes in their child's externalizing behaviors when compared with pre-MRI, yet parents of children in the MRI-Negative group reported a further increase in externalizing behaviors. Parent attributions also changed as a function of group membership; whereas no changes were noted in the other two groups, parents of children in the MRI-Negative sample ascribed more controllability at Time 3 when compared with Time 2.
authors.affiliation: State University of New York-Upstate Medical University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA. AntshelK@upstate.edu
authors.forename: Kevin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Antshel
authors.forename: Anuj
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seigers
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness; D002605:Character; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009518:New York; D015588:Observer Variation; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results