Neuropsychological functioning during the year following severe traumatic brain injury

The neuropsychological functioning of a group of 65 adults with severe trau matic brain injury was assessed at 6 months and 1 year post-injury. The cog nitive domains assessed were pre-morbid intellectual level, current level o f general intellectual functioning, simple and complex attention, verbal me mory, executive functioning, and perceptual functioning. At least 40%, and up to 74%, of the TBI patients displayed some degree of impairment on tests administered at 6 months. Improvement was found to occur in all areas of c ognitive functioning over the first year following injury. Despite this imp rovement at least 31%, and up to 63%, of TBI patients displayed some degree of impairment on tests administered at 1 year post-injury. The various typ es of neuropsychological functioning were affected to different degrees, in dicating that different aspects of cognition are more susceptible to injury , and that recovery takes place at a differential rate across functions. Th e implications of these findings for the appropriate planning and allocatio n of treatment and rehabilitation resources, and the development of effecti ve rehabilitation interventions are outlined.