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Neurobehavioural symptoms one year after a head injury

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Shoumitro Deb ,
Ita Lyons  and
Charis Koutzoukis
Shoumitro Deb*
Affiliation:
Division of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff
Ita Lyons
Affiliation:
Division of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff
Charis Koutzoukis
Affiliation:
Division of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff
*
Dr S. Deb, Division of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF4 4XN. Tel: 01222 562323; Fax: 01222 555047; e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background

Neurobehavioural symptoms are common immediately after a minor head injury but have not been studied one year after the injury.

Aims

To estimate the rate and pattern of neurobehavioural symptoms one year after a head injury of varying severity.

Method

Adults who had been hospitalised after a head injury (n=196, 164 of whom had a face-to-face interview) and showed indirect evidence of brain assault were assessed for the presence of neurobehavioural symptoms with the help of a behaviour rating scale.

Results

About 40% had three or more symptoms. Individual symptoms varied among 3% (social disinhibition), 15% (lack of initiative) and 35% (irritability) of the cohort. Premorbid factors such as lower social class and lower educational achievement, head-injury-related factors such a low Glasgow coma score, and outcome-related factors such as the presence of a disability according to the Edinburgh Rehabilitation Status Scale and psychiatric caseness according to the Clinical Interview Schedule–Revised, significantly influenced the rate and the pattern of behavioural symptoms. The pattern of symptoms varied between age groups and according to the severity of the head injury.

Conclusions

A significant proportion of patients with varying degrees of severity of head injury showed behavioural symptoms after one-year of head injury.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 174 , Issue 4 , April 1999 , pp. 360 - 365
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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Footnotes

Declaration of interest

Study funded by the Welsh Office.

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