Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 26, 2025
Murine Model of Controlled Cortical Impact for the Induction of Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: August 16, 2019
Traumatic Brain Injury in Young Children: A Scoping Review
Jessica Salley1, Libby Crook1, Angela Ciccia1
1Department of Psychological Sciences, Communication Sciences Program, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
Insights
Children under six with traumatic brain injury (TBI) face lasting academic and social challenges. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are crucial for their care, but evidence for TBI assessment and treatment is limited.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurology
- Developmental psychology
- Speech-language pathology
Background:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in early childhood (0-5 years 11 months) can lead to significant long-term deficits.
- Early intervention is critical for mitigating developmental and functional impairments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review of the literature on early childhood TBI.
- To identify clinical implications and future research directions for speech-language pathology (SLP) practice.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review was performed following PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
- 44 peer-reviewed articles on early childhood TBI were analyzed.
- Studies were thematically categorized by etiology, assessment, treatment, outcomes, and contributing factors.
Main Results:
- Most studies focused on outcomes following TBI in young children.
- Children experiencing TBI before age six are at risk for persistent academic and social difficulties.
- Limited evidence exists for assessment, treatment, and identification of recovery factors in this population.
Conclusions:
- Young children with TBI require specialized SLP services for persistent challenges.
- There is a critical need for more rigorous research to enhance the evidence base for SLP interventions in early childhood TBI.
- Future research should focus on assessment, treatment efficacy, and factors influencing recovery.
Abstract:
To review the evidence available on early childhood (i.e., 0-5 years 11 months) traumatic brain injury (TBI) and identify clinical implications and future directions for speech-language pathology (SLP) practice and research, a scoping review of the literature was conducted following the 2018 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRSIMA-ScR) guidelines. A total of 44 peer-reviewed articles were included for review. Included studies were assigned one or more of the following thematic labels related to early childhood TBI: etiology, assessment, treatment, outcomes, contributing factors. Most of the studies were nonexperimental studies and addressed outcomes following early childhood TBI. We conclude, based on this scoping review, that children who experience a TBI before 6 years of age are at risk for persistent long-term difficulties in academic and social functioning. SLPs are among the group of clinicians most appropriate to assess and treat these children; yet, the evidence for assessment, treatment, and identification of factors contributing to the recovery of young children with TBI is particularly lacking. Rigorous research is needed to improve the evidence base for SLPs.
