Mild head injury and cognitive performance deficits
Abstract
Abstractsfrom the 18th Annual Meeting Specific tables of effect size estimates and confidence intervals are presented as an aid to the interpretation of individual test findings. Kreuch, T. J., Falcon, P., Gabel, B., & Hudson, D. Effects of Chronic Alcohol Abuse on Neuropsychological Test Performance in Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury. The effects of chronic alcohol abuse on neuropsychological test performance in individuals who have sustained traumatic brain injury (TBI) are examined. Previous studies have focused more on acute intoxication rather than chronic abuse, with neuropsychological test performance results mixed. Two groups were identified for the study--TBI with and without documented history of alcohol abuse. General inclusion criteria: (1) TBI within past year, (2) at least 18 years old, (3) no history of LD or MR, and 4) no use of other drugs. The following tests were administered to participants in each group as soon as PTA and confusion had resolved sufficiently: WAIS-R (Kaufman Short Form), Complex Figure Test, Auditory-Verbal Learning Test, Trail Making Test, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Verbal Fluency Test and Category Test. Standard administration procedures were followed. Preliminary results on a relatively small sample size suggest that TBI patients with chronic alcohol problems have greater