An initial study to establish symptom base rates of traumatic brain injury in children
Clare M Couch1, Janet M Leathem
1Psychology Department, Massey University, Private Box 756, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
Insights
Common symptoms like irritability and fatigue are frequently reported by children without brain injuries. This highlights the need for caution when interpreting these symptoms in pediatric traumatic brain injury assessments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Child Psychology
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often linked to various symptoms like headaches, irritability, and memory issues.
- These symptoms are typically presumed to stem directly from the TBI.
- Establishing baseline symptom prevalence in non-injured children is crucial for accurate TBI assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of common symptoms in non-brain-injured children aged 11-13.
- To provide a baseline for symptom reporting in pediatric populations.
- To inform the interpretation of symptoms in the context of childhood TBI.
Main Methods:
- A self-report questionnaire with 38 items was administered.
- 124 children aged 11-13 without brain injuries participated.
- Symptom reporting over the past year was assessed.
Main Results:
- High base rates of symptoms were reported, including "grumpy/cross" (79.4%), "frustration" (74.0%), and "fatigue" (72.2%).
- These rates are comparable to those found in non-brain-injured adults over a longer period.
- Approximately 20% of children reported five or more symptoms daily or weekly, predominantly in behavioral and emotional domains.
Conclusions:
- Non-brain-injured children report high frequencies of common symptoms, particularly behavioral and emotional ones.
- These findings necessitate caution in interpreting symptom reporting for pediatric TBI.
- Further research is required to establish normative data for symptom prevalence in children.
Abstract:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with complaints including headaches, restlessness, memory problems, or irritability, which are assumed to be a consequence of the TBI. The current study is a first attempt to establish the prevalence of common TBI complaints reported by non-brain-injured children aged 11-13. In a 38-item self-report questionnaire, 124 children reported high base rates for symptoms over the past year, especially "grumpy/cross" (79.4%), "frustration" (74.0%), and "fatigue (mental or physical)" (72.2%). This was comparable with base rate information reported by Lees-Haley and Brown (1993) for non-brain-injured adults for a longer period (24-month period). Approximately 20% of children reported five or more symptoms on a daily or weekly basis. They were most likely to be in behavioral and emotional rather than somatic or cognitive domains. Therefore, further research is needed to establish base rate information in order to clarify the true significance of symptom reporting and caution is recommended in interpretation of these symptoms in neuropsychological assessment of TBI in children.
