Specific attention and executive function deficits in the long-term outcome of severe closed head injury

Twenty-eight children (mean age= 10.9 years, SD= 1.9 years) who had experienced a severe closed head injury were assessed for outcome on tests of intelligence, attention and executive function at 1 year post-injury. The children with closed head injury were matched with children from a normative sample for age and intellectual ability. Specific deficits in attention and executive function were found in the closed head injury sample. The importance of including these outcome variables in child neuropsychological assessment is supported.