Clinical neurological indicators are only moderately correlated with quantitative neuropsychological test scores in patients who display mild-moderate brain impairment following closed-head injuries

Abstract

Quantitative comparisons were completed between mean scores for standardized neuropsychological tests (requiring 6 hr.), numbers of neurological signs (tests requiring 15 min.), anomalies within the electroencephalogram, subjective symptoms during a structured interview (requiring 20 min.), and an indicator of an organic brain syndrome for 81 patients who had sustained significant mechanical impacts to their skulls. The composite of neuropsychological scores was correlated 0.70 with a composite of neurological indicators and EEG anomalies. There were no significant correlations between neuropsychological or neurological scores and the numbers of subjective complaints, abnormal personality indicators, duration of coma or the interval of posttraumatic dysmnesia. However, the scores for the severity of the organic brain syndrome, partial complex epileptic symptoms, and subjective complaints were inversely correlated (rho = -0.35) with the duration of coma, the period of posttraumatic amnesia, and the numbers of qualitative electroencephalographic anomalies.