IQ LOSS AND EMOTIONAL DYSFUNCTIONS AFTER MILD HEAD-INJURY INCURRED INA MOTOR-VEHICLE ACCIDENT

Intelligence and personality dysfunctions after minor traumatic brain injury (TBI) (whiplash; slight head impact) incurred in a motor vehicl e accident (MVA) were studied in adults after an average interval of 2 0 months. There was a mean loss of 14 points of Full Scale IQ from est imated preinjury baseline IQ determined from the standardization group (WAIS-R) without evidence for recovery. Personality dysfunctions incl uded cerebral personality disorder, psychiatric diagnosis (30 of 33 pa tients), post-traumatic stress disorders, persistent altered conscious ness, and psychodynamic reactions to impairment. Cognitive loss is cau sed by interaction of brain injury with distractions such as pain and emotional distress. Unreported head impact and altered consciousness a t the time of accident contribute to the underestimation of brain trau ma after minor TBI.