Citation

Stuss DT, Stethem LL, Picton TW, Leech EE, Pelchat G. Can. J. Neurol. Sci. 1989; 16(2): 161-167.

Affiliation

School of Medicine (Neurology), University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2731082

Abstract

The effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and aging were compared on tests of simple and complex reaction time (RT). Simple RT was not significantly affected by aging or TBI. TBI patients, however, tended to be slower on Simple RT tasks, and had a larger standard deviation. Individuals over age 60 and patients of any age with TBI demonstrated slower RT with choice RT tests. In addition, both groups (those over 60 and TBI patients) were less able than other groups to inhibit the processing of redundant information. For the TBI patients, this occurred primarily on reassessment. These results suggest that the deficit in both aging and TBI is not only a generalized neuronal slowing but a more specific impairment in attentional control processes, exhibited as a deficit in focused attention.

Language: en