Memory deficit after closed head injury

Abstract

This paper reviews research concerning impairment of memory during the early and late stages of recovery from closed-head injury (CHI). Posttraumatic and retrograde amnesia are discussed, including direct measurement, rate of forgetting and evoked potential correlates. Studies of residual memory deficit in survivors of CHI are reviewed, including the effects of severity and chronicity of injury and features such as utilization of semantic features to guide recall. The evidence for relatively preserved motor and pattern analyzing skills after severe CHI is presented and the implications for rehabilitation are discussed.