Citation

Max JE, Dunisch DL. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 1997; 36(3): 404-411.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/00004583-199703000-00020

PMID

9055522

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the similarity of children with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly mild TBI, to matched children without such a history, within a child psychiatry outpatient clinic. METHOD: This is a chart review of patients presenting to a child psychiatry outpatient clinic over a 3-year period. Children with TBI were matched by age, sex, race, and social class to children with no history of TBI. Axis I and II diagnoses, use of special education services, and IQ scores were compared. RESULTS: Seventy-four (5.6%) of 1,333 consecutive clinic cases had a definite TBI. Of these, 64 were mild. Only 3 of 59 comparisons that were made between TBI and control subjects were significant. A developmental communication disorder cluster was significantly more frequent in the TBI group. Autism and a pervasive developmental disorder cluster were significantly more frequent in the control group. CONCLUSION: In a child psychiatry clinic, patients with a history of TBI are virtually indistinguishable from matched children without TBI. Caution should be exercised before attributing the child's problems, especially long-term problems, to the TBI unless the injury was severe or the child is exhibiting related phobic or posttraumatic stress symptomatology.

Language: en