Relationship between cognitive and motor performance in physically well-recovered men with traumatic brain injury

To explore the relationship between cognitive and motor performance in physically well-recovered men with traumatic brain injury.

Cross-sectional explorative study in a national neurorehabilitation centre.

Men with post-acute traumatic brain injury (n = 34; aged 19-55 years) who had recovered well physically.

Cognitive performance (attention, information processing, cognitive flexibility, motor regulation, praxis of the upper limbs) and motor performance (postural balance, agility, rhythm-co-ordination) were assessed. Partial rank correlation coefficients and analyses of covariance were used to assess the associations between these tests.

Associations were found between the time taken in both Trail Making tests and performance time in the agility test (r = 0.57). The score on the Digit Symbol test correlated with time in the agility test (r = -0.52). Patients with normal performance in verbal fluency performed the tests of dynamic balance and agility 26% more quickly than those with abnormal performance. Moreover, patients with normal performance in the reproduction of rhythmic structures were 20% faster in the dynamic balance test. Motor functions of the hands associated with all the motor-performance test results.

Measures of information processing, attention and executive functioning may be associated with motor performance. Apart from the theoretical relevance, the finding of an association between cognitive and motor performance may have clinical relevance with regard to rehabilitation.