Head Injury Tied to Long-Term Attention Issues in Kids
Study says brief lapses in attention can persist, even if brain injury is mild
MONDAY, Aug. 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Children who suffer even mild brain injuries may experience momentary lapses in attention long after their accident, new research finds.
The study of 6- to 13-year-olds found these attention lapses led to lower behavior and intelligence ratings by their parents and teachers.
"Parents, teachers and doctors should be aware that attention impairment after traumatic brain injury can manifest as very short lapses in focus, causing children to be slower," said study researcher Marsh Konigs, a doctoral candidate at VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
This loss of focus was apparent even when scans showed no obvious brain damage, the researchers said.
Traumatic brain injury can occur from a blow to the head caused by a fall, traffic accident, assault or sports injury. Concussion is one type of traumatic brain injury. In 2009, more than 248,000 teens and children were treated in U.S. emergency rooms for sports- and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries or concussions, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For the study, published online Aug. 3 in the journal Pediatrics, researchers compared 113 children who had been hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury with 53 children who had a trauma injury not involving the head. The injuries, which ranged from mild to severe, occurred more than 18 months earlier on average.
The researchers tested mental functioning and evaluated questionnaires completed by parents and teachers at least two months after the injuries.
The head-injured group had slower processing speed, the researchers found. And their attention lapses were longer than those noted in the other children. But unlike other research, no differences were reported in other types of attention, such as executive attention -- the ability to resolve conflict between competing responses.
The authors note, however, that although the findings suggest an association between head injury and lapses in attention, they do not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
The study did not look at remedies, but Konigs said stimulant medications prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may also benefit kids with head injuries who have these attention deficiencies.
Head Injury and Long-Term Attention Issues in Kids
Study says brief lapses in attention can persist, even if brain injury is mild
MONDAY, Aug. 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Children who suffer even mild brain injuries may experience momentary lapses in attention long after their accident, new research finds.
The study of 6- to 13-year-olds found these attention lapses led to lower behavior and intelligence ratings by their parents and teachers.
"Parents, teachers and doctors should be aware that attention impairment after traumatic brain injury can manifest as very short lapses in focus, causing children to be slower," said study researcher Marsh Konigs, a doctoral candidate at VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
This loss of focus was apparent even when scans showed no obvious brain damage, the researchers said.
Traumatic brain injury can occur from a blow to the head caused by a fall, traffic accident, assault or sports injury. Concussion is one type of traumatic brain injury. In 2009, more than 248,000 teens and children were treated in U.S. emergency rooms for sports- and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries or concussions, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For the study, published online Aug. 3 in the journal Pediatrics, researchers compared 113 children who had been hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury with 53 children who had a trauma injury not involving the head. The injuries, which ranged from mild to severe, occurred more than 18 months earlier on average.
The researchers tested mental functioning and evaluated questionnaires completed by parents and teachers at least two months after the injuries.
The head-injured group had slower processing speed, the researchers found. And their attention lapses were longer than those noted in the other children. But unlike other research, no differences were reported in other types of attention, such as executive attention -- the ability to resolve conflict between competing responses.
The authors note, however, that although the findings suggest an association between head injury and lapses in attention, they do not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
The study did not look at remedies, but Konigs said stimulant medications prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may also benefit kids with head injuries who have these attention deficiencies.
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