Intellectual and emotional functioning in college students following mild traumatic brain injury in childhood and adolescence

Marschark, Marc; Richtsmeier, Lynda M.; Richardson, John T. E.; Crovitz, Herbert F. and Henry, Jacqueline (2000). Intellectual and emotional functioning in college students following mild traumatic brain injury in childhood and adolescence. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 15(6) pp. 1227–1245.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00001199-200012000-00004

URL: http://journals.lww.com/headtraumarehab/Abstract/2...

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether college students with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) in childhood or adolescence show residual deficits in intellectual functioning, approaches to studying, or emotional stability.
Design: Participants with a history of mild TBI and two control groups. Setting: Volunteers were recruited from students taking an introductory psychology course. Participants: 79 students with a history of mild TBI, 75 students with a history of general anesthesia, and 93 students with no history of either TBI or general anesthesia.
Main Outcome Measures: Participants carried out tests of verbal memory, nonverbal memory, verbal fluency, and nonverbal fluency; in addition, they completed a short form of the Approaches to Studying Inventory and the Symptom Checklist-90 - Revised (SCL-90-R).
Results: In comparison with the two control groups, the students with a history of mild TBI produced similar scores on the cognitive tests and similar orientations to studying. However, they showed a significantly higher level of emotional distress on the SCL-90-R.
Conclusion: College students with a history of mild TBI in childhood or adolescence are intellectually unimpaired and approach their studying in a similar manner to their uninjured classmates. Nevertheless, they report more severe distress in terms of their general personal and emotional functioning.