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Consonant accuracy after severe pediatric traumatic brain injury: a prospective cohort study
Thomas F Campbell1, Christine Dollaghan, Janine Janosky
1Callier Center for Communication Disorders, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA. thomas.f.campbell@utdallas.edu
Insights
Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacts speech development. Children injured earlier in speech development showed significantly lower Percentage of Consonants Correct-Revised (PCC-R) over 12 months post-injury.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurology
- Speech-language pathology
- Neurorehabilitation
Background:
- Severe pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) can significantly affect speech development.
- The Percentage of Consonants Correct-Revised (PCC-R) is a key measure of articulation accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To track longitudinal changes in PCC-R following severe pediatric TBI.
- To compare PCC-R outcomes in children injured at different developmental stages.
- To identify factors correlating with PCC-R post-TBI.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal assessment of PCC-R over 12 months in 56 children with severe TBI (ages 1 month to 11 years).
- Comparison of normal-range PCC-R odds between younger (≤60 months) and older (>60 months) injured children.
- Correlation analysis of PCC-R with age at injury, injury characteristics, and demographic factors.
Main Results:
- PCC-R scores demonstrated variability within and between participants.
- Children injured at older ages had significantly higher odds of normal-range PCC-R from session 3 onwards (9-33 times higher).
- Age at injury was a significant predictor of final PCC-R.
Conclusions:
- Severe TBI disproportionately affects speech development in children injured during critical speech acquisition periods.
- Earlier injury age is associated with more persistent challenges in achieving normal articulation post-TBI.
- Intervention timing and intensity may need to consider the child's developmental stage at the time of injury.
Purpose:
The authors sought to describe longitudinal changes in Percentage of Consonants Correct-Revised (PCC-R) after severe pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI), to compare the odds of normal-range PCC-R in children injured at older and younger ages, and to correlate predictor variables and PCC-R outcomes.
Method:
In 56 children injured between age 1 month and 11 years, PCC-R was calculated over 12 monthly sessions beginning when the child produced ≥ 10 words. At each session, the authors compared odds of normal-range PCC-R in children injured at younger (≤ 60 months) and older (> 60 months) ages. Correlations were calculated between final PCC-R and age at injury, injury mechanism, gender, maternal education, residence, treatment, Glasgow Coma Score, and intact brain volume.
Results:
PCC-Rs varied within and between children. Odds of normal-range PCC-R were significantly higher for the older than for the younger group at all sessions but the first; odds of normal-range PCC-R were 9 to 33 times higher in the older group in sessions 3 to 12. Age at injury was significantly correlated with final PCC-R.
Conclusion:
Over a 12-month period, severe TBI had more adverse effects for children whose ages placed them in the most intensive phase of PCC-R development than for children injured later.
