Related Experiment Videos
Traumatic brain injury in children and adolescents: psychiatric disorders in the second three months
J E Max1, S D Lindgren, D A Robin
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City 52242, USA.
Insights
Children hospitalized after traumatic brain injury (TBI) may develop new psychiatric disorders. Injury severity, family history, and family function predict these outcomes, identifying at-risk children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Child Psychiatry
- Neuropsychology
Background:
- Psychiatric disorders are a potential complication following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI).
- Prospective studies investigating these outcomes are limited.
- Understanding risk factors is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively examine the incidence of new psychiatric disorders after TBI in children.
- To identify predictors of these post-TBI psychiatric conditions.
Main Methods:
- Fifty children (aged 6-14) hospitalized with TBI were assessed for pre-injury factors and injury severity.
- Psychiatric status was evaluated during the second 3 months post-injury.
- Forty-two children were reassessed at 6 months.
Main Results:
- Injury severity, family psychiatric history, and family functioning significantly predicted the development of new psychiatric disorders.
- Children with mild/moderate TBI and pre-existing psychiatric conditions did not show increased risk at 6 months compared to those without such history.
Conclusions:
- Specific clinical factors, including injury severity and family environment, can identify children at higher risk for new psychiatric disorders post-TBI.
- Early identification and targeted support are essential for children experiencing TBI.
Abstract:
Psychiatric disorders may be common after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children, yet there is a death of prospective studies examining this problem. Fifty children aged 6 to 14, hospitalized after TBI, were assessed soon after TBI regarding preinjury psychiatric, behavioral, adaptive, and family functioning, family psychiatric history status and injury severity. The outcome measure was the presence of a "novel" psychiatric disorder (not present before the injury) during the second 3 months after the injury. Forty-two subjects were reassessed at 6 months. Severity of injury, family psychiatric history, and family function predicted a novel psychiatric disorder. Among children suffering a mild/moderate injury, those with preinjury lifetime psychiatric disorders were no longer (as they had been in the first 3 months) at higher risk than those without such a lifetime history. Thus, there appeared to be children, identifiable through clinical assessment, at increased risk for novel psychiatric disorders after TBI.