Extent of intellectual, cognitive, and academic decline in adolescent traumatic brain injury

Pre-injury cognitive data are rarely available for review for individuals suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although pre-injury intelligence and academic scores may be available, particularly if an individual is learning-disabled (LD), data on specific cognitive abilities are unlikely to exist. We present neuropsychological data for a 15-year-old Caucasian female with a learning disability who was administered IQ testing 2 weeks prior to a significant TBI, as well as other measures of specific cognitive abilities (e.g. memory and perceptual-motor skills) throughout her education. Comparison of pre- and post-TBI data showed: (1) global and generally consistent decline in all cognitive areas and (2) relatively stable performance on tests of academic ability, supporting the validity of such test scores as estimates of premorbid intelligence.