Long-term outcome of medically confirmed and self-reported early traumatic brain injury in two nationwide samples.

• Published in: Brain Injury
• Main Authors: Halldorsson, Jonas G, Arnkelsson, Gudmundur B, Tomasson, Kristinn, Flekkoy, Kjell M, Magnadottir, Hulda Bra, Arnarson, Eirikur Orn
• Other Authors: Univ Iceland, Fac Med, Reykjavik, Iceland, Landspitali Univ Hosp, Psychol Serv, IS-108 Reykjavik, Iceland, Univ Iceland, Dept Psychol, Reykjavik, Iceland, Adm Occupat Safety & Hlth, Reykjavik, Iceland, Univ Oslo, Oslo, Norway, Upper Valley Neurol & Neurosurg, Lebanon, NH USA
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Informa Healthcare 2013
• Subjects: Heilaskaði; Börn; Adaptation; Psychological; Adolescent; Age Distribution; Analysis of Variance; Brain Injuries; Child; Preschool; Cognition Disorders; Disabled Persons; Early Diagnosis; Female; Humans; Iceland; Infant; Newborn; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Mental Disorders; Mental Health; Parents; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Questionnaires; Self Report; Severity of Illness Index; Sex Distribution; Time Factors; Young Adult
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/317060; https://doi.org/10.3109/02699052.2013.765599

To access publisher's full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field. To assess long-term effects of early traumatic brain injury (TBI) on mental health, cognition, behaviour and adjustment and to identify prognostic factors. A 1-year nationwide cohort of all 0-19 year old Icelandic children and adolescents diagnosed with TBI in 1992-1993 (n = 550) received a questionnaire with clinical outcome scales and questions on TBI and socio-economic status (SES) by mail ∼16 years post-injury. A control group (n = 1232), newly selected from the National Registry, received the same questionnaire. Non-respondents answered a shorter version by telephone. Overall participation was 67%. Medically confirmed and self-reported TBI was reflected in worse outcome. Force of impact, number and severity of TBIs predicted poorer results. Parental SES and demographic factors had limited effects. Not reporting early, medically confirmed TBI did not exclude cognitive sequelae. In self-reported disability, absence of evaluation for compensation was not linked to outcome. Clinical outcome was consistent with late complaints attributed to early TBI. TBI-related variables had greater prognostic value than other factors. Self-reporting of TBI sustained very early in life needs supplementary information from parents and medical records. More consistency in compensation evaluations following paediatric TBI is indicated. University of Iceland Doctoral Fund Landspitali University Hospital Science Fund Margret Bjorgolfsdottir Memorial Fund Olafia Jonsdottir Memorial Fund Helga Jonsdotti Sigurlidi Kristjansson Memorial Fund Alcan Iceland Community Fund