The paper reviews the epidemiology of pediatric closed head injury. Incidence rates, etiologic/pathophysiologic correlates, and associated risk factors are discussed. Suggestions offered for future research concern relationships among age, etiology, and pathophysiology in outcome studies and premorbid measures of personality/intellectual…

This study compared the preinjury and postinjury patterns of alcohol and illicit drug use of 87 persons (ages 16 to 20) with traumatic brain injury. Although an initial follow-up indicated decline in alcohol use, second follow-up (at 28 months postinjury) suggested that drinking quantity and frequency increased over time. Postinjury illicit drug…

This survey of 616 Canadian high-school adolescents suggests that light and mild head injury is almost 10 times as common as hospital-reported incidence. The study found significant relationships between reported head injury and hyperactivity, stuttering, mixed handedness, and dislike of mathematics. (Author/JDD)

A survey of 1,345 high school students and 2,321 university students found that 30-37% reported having experienced a head injury, with 12-15% reporting loss of consciousness. Significant relationships were found between mild head injury incidence and gender; sleep difficulties; social difficulties; handedness pattern; and diagnoses of attention…