Neurocognitive and Affective Sequelae Following Complicated Mild and Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Series

Abstract

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to various sequelae that affect the day-to-day functioning of patients. However, there is a dearth of studies investigating these sequelae in complicated mild TBI and moderate TBI patients.

Objective: The prime objective of the present study was to present the neurocognitive and affective profile of complicated mild and moderate TBI patients along with to compare the neurocognitive and affective sequelae in patients with complicated mild and moderate TBI.

Materials and methods: Twenty-two patients with complicated mild TBI and 17 patients with Moderate TBI, each with an intracranial lesion were recruited from level 1 trauma center in Varanasi. All patients were assessed with neurocognitive measures, Rivermead Post Concussive Symptoms Questionnaire, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The patients' profiles were presented as clinical series using descriptive analysis. Further, comparison was done by using the Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test.

Results: Findings revealed that complicated mild TBI patients reported significantly higher psychological distress and post head injury symptoms in comparison to patients with moderate TBI. Further, the complicated mild TBI and moderate TBI groups showed differences with respect to verbal fluency, mental speed, and flexibility tasks.

Conclusions: Complicated mild TBI and moderate TBI groups have not differed significantly on most of the cognitive tasks. Furthermore, affective symptoms were found more prominent in complicated mild TBI group as compared to the moderate TBI group.

Keywords: Affective; neurocognitive impairment; psychological distress; traumatic brain injury.