Self- and informant-ratings on the patient competency rating scale in patients with traumatic brain injury

The Patient Competency Rating Scale (PCRS) provides self- and informant-ratings of everyday memory and gives a guide to patients' awareness of their difficulties. Research using the PCRS has focussed on groups with severe TBI and little is known about ratings of functioning in other severity groups or in a non-TBI population. In the current study the TBI group (n = 53) overrated their pre-accident competency compared to controls (n = 131). Patients with severe TBI (n = 25) underestimated their difficulties, while ratings of those with moderate (n = 14) and mild (n = 14) TBI were consistent with their informants, that is, in areas of cognition and emotion. Controls reported difficulty in interpersonal functioning and emotional control that their informants were unaware of.