Late neuropsychologic status after childhood head trauma
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Updated: Oct 28, 2026
Investigations on Alterations of Hippocampal Circuit Function Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: November 19, 2012
Insights
Children hospitalized for head trauma before age 7 showed lasting cognitive deficits. Specific subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R) effectively identified these deficits in children with moderate head injuries.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in early childhood can have long-term consequences.
- Previous research indicates potential cognitive impairments following pediatric TBI.
- Early identification of deficits is crucial for intervention and support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate long-term cognitive outcomes in children who experienced head trauma before age 7.
- To identify specific neuropsychological tests that can detect cognitive deficits resulting from pediatric head injuries.
- To compare cognitive performance between children with mild and moderate head trauma.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 35 children hospitalized for head trauma before age 7 was assessed 3.5 to 10 years post-injury.
- Participants underwent a battery of neurologic and neuropsychologic tests.
- Children were divided into groups based on injury severity: moderate (n=12) and mild (n=23).
Main Results:
- Children with moderate head injuries performed significantly worse on the Block Design and Coding subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R).
- Other tested measures, including the Bender Test, Benton Visual Retention Test, and neurologic examination, did not effectively differentiate between injury severity groups.
- WISC-R subtest performance emerged as a sensitive indicator of cognitive deficits in this cohort.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric head trauma, even when seemingly moderate, can be associated with detectable long-term cognitive deficits.
- Specific subtests of the WISC-R are valuable tools for identifying cognitive impairments in children with a history of head injury.
- Further research is warranted to explore the full spectrum of long-term effects and optimal assessment strategies for pediatric TBI.
Abstract:
A neurologic and neuropsychologic test battery was administered to a sample of 35 children drawn from all those in a defined geographic area who had been hospitalized for head trauma before age 7 during the years 1970-1976. Examination was performed 3 1/2 to 10 years after injury, at age 6-15. Twelve subjects had been diagnosed at the time of injury as suffering moderate insult and had been referred to the metropolitan neurosurgical center, while twenty-three with only mild injury had been retained for observation in a local pediatric ward. The twelve with more severe insult were significantly inferior to the other subjects on the Block Design and Coding subtests of the revised Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. The Koppitz score of the Bender Test, the WISC-R scatter, the Benton Visual Retention Test, the GATB Motor Speed Test and the Bourdon-Wiersma Vigilance Test showed less diagnostic power and failed to distinguish between the group with more severe injury and that with less. A detailed and carefully scored neurologic examination also failed to distinguish between the two groups. The findings suggest that relatively common traumatic injury may be associated with detectable late cognitive deficit, and that some WISC-R subtests may be among the best measures for detecting such deficit.
