Influence of age-related factors on long-term outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children: A review of recent literature and some preliminary findings

Cerebral plasticity of the immature brain is often inferred to Iced to less serious consequences of early traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the pediatri c age group. This notion is seriously challenged by recent research finding s. Data from prospective studies point to some children's difficulties in o ngoing skill-acquisition and the possibility of late-emerging deficits. Acc ordingly, preliminary group data of an own ongoing study support the notion of an increased risk for pervasive neuropsychological impairment in subjec ts with severe TBI and early age at trauma. The pattern of neuropsychologic al deficits may depend on the developmental level at the time of injury, al though effects of hemispheric site of lesion were also found to persist in individual cases. Theoretical considerations and empirical findings stress the importance of a longitudinal developmental perspective for the evaluati on of long-term outcome after pediatric TBI.