Citation

Bakker K, Anderson V. Pediatr. Rehabil. 1999; 3(4): 149-157.

Affiliation

Rehabilitation Department, New Children's Hospital, Sydney, Australia. Kathleb3@nch.edu.au

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10819427

Abstract

This study investigated attentional impairments and recovery in pre-school children following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Children aged between 3-8 years were assigned to two groups on the basis of severity of injury: (i) mild TBI and (ii) severe TBI. Children were evaluated at the acute stage postinjury (0-3 months) and again at 6 months on a range of standardized intellectual and attention measures. In addition, a specifically developed behavioural attention measure was employed. Results revealed a tendency for children with severe injuries to exhibit greater attentional impairments in the acute phase post-injury. In addition, children who sustained a severe TBI demonstrated significant recovery in attentional functioning over time. Results indicated differential recovery rates for separate components of attention. Both groups demonstrated a trend towards recovery of arousal and motivation over time, while focused attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity remained stable.

Language: en