Neuropsychological predictors of distress following traumatic brain injury

Emotional and behavioural difficulties are one of the most common difficulties following traumatic brain injury (TBI), although it is not clear which individuals with TBI become most distressed. Numerous factors contribute to adjustment following TBI, and the current study examined degree of cognitive decline as one potential contributor to distress following TBI. The relationship between cognitive functioning and distress may be conceptualized as being related to (a) an individual's absolute level of cognitive ability following TBI, or (b) relative degree of decline following TBI (i.e. the greater the decline, the greater the distress, regardless of absolute level of ability). The current study tested these hypotheses by comparing a measure of global emotional distress with measures of absolute level of neuropsychological functioning and indices of cognitive decline. In contrast to hypotheses, regression analyses indicated that estimated pre-morbid ability accounted for more variance in distress following TBI than either absolute level of functioning or indices of cognitive decline, with individuals with higher estimated pre-morbid abilities reporting lower levels of distress. Treatment implications are discussed.