Selected cases of poor outcome following a minor brain trauma: Comparing neuropsychological and positron emission tomography assessment

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Neuropsychological residua arc common particularly in the early stages following a minor traumatic brain injury (TBI), however, a minority of individuals complain of persistent deficits following months or years post-accident. Nine such cases are presented with little or no evidence of brain damage demonstrated according to non-functional neuroimaging (for example CT, MRI), yet their neuropsychological examinations were positive. Since the introduction of positron emission tomography (PET), which captures a functional approach, the question arose as to what extent the two techniques (i.e. PET and neuropsychological examination) are interrelated. All nine minor TBI cases revealed a corroboration between the positive neuropsychological findings confirmed on the PET. The PET procedure documented neuropathology which frequently was pronounced in the frontal and anteriotemporo-frontal regions. Moreover, no significant differences were evident between those five cases with reported loss of consciousness vs. those four cases without. © 1994 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.

Publication Date

1-1-1994

Publication Title

Brain Injury

ISSN

02699052

Volume

8

Issue

4

First Page

297

Last Page

308

PubMed ID

8081345

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.3109/02699059409150981

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