title: Identifying children and adolescents with cognitive dysfunction following mild traumatic brain injury--preliminary findings on abbreviated neuropsychological testing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies on cognitive function in paediatric patients suffering head trauma suggest neuropsychological impairment even after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). The present study examined the feasibility of abbreviated neuropsychological testing in different settings in children and adolescents following MTBI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within the scope of two prospective studies on psychosocial and cognitive outcome, 71 school-aged children with mild, moderate or severe TBI were assessed. In addition, 15 healthy children were included in the study. The abbreviated instrument comprises three standardized tests measuring attention and memory functions (Digit Symbol, Digit Span, learning trials of the German Auditory Verbal Learning Test). Impairment rates were calculated according to a defined cut-off score for clinically significant cognitive impairment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Abbreviated testing could easily be implemented both in the acute and post-acute clinical setting. Out of the children with MTBI, 12% (shortly after injury) and 30% (2 months after injury), respectively, were classified as cognitively impaired. Following moderate or severe TBI, impairment occurred in 50% of the patients. Healthy children showed the best performance, while children with severe TBI performed worst.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that abbreviated testing allows detection of MTBI-related cognitive dysfunction. Identified children should be referred to a clinical neuropsychologist for comprehensive assessment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52/W26, Hamburg, Germany. a.scherwath@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scherwath
authors.forename: Dirk W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Sommerfeldt
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bindt
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nolte
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boiger
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Petersen-Ewert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index