Cognitive deficits in patients with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most frequent causes of brain damage. Cognitive deficits reported in the literature after moderate to severe TBI include memory, language, executive functions, attention and information processing speed impairments. However, systematic studies on patients with mild TBI are scarce although neuropsychological changes are present. Objective: To investigate the cognitive functioning of patients with mild to moderate TBI. Method: We evaluated 12 patients with mild to moderate TBI using a comprehensive protocol (PN01) of neuropsychological tests. Results: There were significant deficits of episodic memory including immediate and delayed verbal memory recall, verbal recognition, immediate and delayed visual memory recall, naming, verbal fluency and information processing speed. Conclusion: These results emphasize the importance of comprehensive neuropsychological assessments even in cases of mild TBI in order to identify impaired and preserved functions providing adequate managing including rehabilitation programs for each case.