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The Starship Post-Traumatic Amnesia Scale: Does It Predict Outcome After Mild to Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury in Children Aged 3 to 7 Years?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Kirsten L. Thickpenny-Davis
Affiliation:
University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Jenni A. Ogden*
Affiliation:
University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Kris Fernando
Affiliation:
Starship Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
*
Address for correspondence: Associate Professor Jenni Ogden, Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

This study assesses whether the Starship Post-Traumatic Amnesia scale, developed for children aged 3 to 7 years, can predict neuropsychological impairment and behavioural outcome following mild to moderate traumatic brain injury. Participants are 19 children aged from 3 to 7 years with a GCS score of >13, and a PTA of 0–3 days. Neuropsychological outcome is measured by the NEPSY, and behavioural outcome by the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) two months after the TBI. The duration of PTA contributed to the prediction of scores on the NEPSY memory and learning domain. In all cases the longer the duration of PTA, the poorer the memory scores were. The duration of PTA did not contribute to the prediction of NEPSY visuospatial processing or attention and executive functions domain scores, or to any of the CBCL scores. This preliminary study suggests that the Starship PTA scale has good sensitivity for this very young age group, even when the TBI is mild.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

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