Trajectories of neuropsychological functioning in Mexican children with traumatic brain injury over the first year after injury

BACKGROUND: Children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) usually displayed substantial neuropsychological impairment at short and long term after injury. OBJECTIVE: To compare the course of cognitive functioning among children with TBI and healthy controls over the first-year post-injury in Guadalajara, Mexico. METHODS: A sample of 46 children with TBI and 46 healthy controls from Guadalajara, Mexico were recruited. Both groups received a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation at three-time post (3, 6, and 12 months) with measures of memory, attention, executive function, processing speed, language, perceptual reasoning, visuo-spatial abilities, and intellectual functioning. Sixteen hierarchical linear models (HLMs) were performed to examine whether linear trajectories of cognitive functioning differed over time between groups. RESULTS: Trajectories of neuropsychological performance were significantly worse over time among children with TBI than healthy controls across every cognitive domain. HLMs suggested that cognitive performance increased over time in both groups, however, TBI group scored significantly lower at each time point compare to the control group, except in Stroop-Interference. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive deficits are common during the first-year after pediatric TBI. Thus, it is imperative to implement early rehabilitation programs to mitigate the consequences of these problems in the social, academic, and family reintegration of these children.