Two studies with nine children with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) were conducted. Study 1, focusing on longitudinal changes in speaking rate, found markedly slower speaking rates for five subjects. Study 2, examining possible causes of slowed speaking rate, found that both reduced articulatory speed and increased pausing may contribute…

The clinical utility of using fewer than 12 trials of the Selective Reminding Test, a task to assess verbal memory, was studied with 100 cardiac patients and 100 brain injury patients. Results suggest that as few as 6 trials might be adequate, providing information consistent with that from 12 trials. (SLD)

Study evaluated bicycling habits and helmet use in 100 university students. Only 31 owned helmets, and 17 wore them during most trips. Helmet ownership was most strongly associated with previous injuries. Ethnicity and possession of bicycle injury insurance were also factors. Perceived risk was an important factor in helmet use. (SM)

This survey of 48 state directors of special education found that states are at various stages in developing policies and guidelines for serving individuals with traumatic brain injury, resulting in differing forms of technical assistance and training, definitions, and eligibility criteria. (JDD)

A stimulus equivalence procedure for the acquisition of English and Spanish words was evaluated with two adolescents having head injuries. Following training on one task, subjects attained and maintained high scores on all matching-to-sample tasks. Results suggest the procedure is effective for teaching foreign language skills to head-injured…

A study compared the Comprehension: Block Design IQ subtest pattern of 8 children with autism and 24 children with developmental and acquired frontal lobe disorders. Found that children with autism showed low social comprehension related to visual spatial ability, a profile which was shared by children with poorly controlled Phenylketonuria. (CR)

A case-study approach illustrates how three survivors of severe traumatic brain injury were able to gain and maintain employment with the assistance of a supported employment program. Emphasis is on types of accommodations, including design and implementation of compensatory strategies. The steps to enhance use of compensatory strategies on the…

This pilot study estimated the incidence of nondysphasic language and communication problems following right cerebral hemisphere damage (RHD) in 11 subjects who completed language assessments within 2 weeks of onset and again 3 months later. Results found some language impairment for 50% of the sample and marked difficulties for 20%. (Author/DB)

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) validity scales were compared for 20 nonclinical participants, 18 subjects asked to fake injury, 18 head injury patients not seeking compensation, and 30 compensation-seeking head injury patients. Results suggest that MMPI-2 overreporting scales are sensitive to complaint fabrication and…

In this study, narrative and expository discourse-retelling abilities were compared in 9 children with closed head injury (CHI) age 9;5-15;3 (years;months) and 9 typically developing age-matched peers. Narrative and expository retellings were analyzed according to language variables (i.e., number of words, number of T-units, and sentential…

The realization of delayed intentions (i.e., prospective memory) is a highly complex process composed of four phases: intention formation, retention, re-instantiation, and execution. The aim of this study was to investigate if executive functioning impairments are related to problems in the formation, re-instantiation, and execution of a delayed…

Dissociations in the recognition of specific classes of words have been documented in brain-injured populations. These include deficits in the recognition and production of morphologically complex words as well as impairments specific to particular syntactic classes such as verbs. However, functional imaging evidence for distinctions among the…

A group with closed head injury was compared to neurologically intact controls regarding the referential cohesion and logical coherence of narrative production. A sample of six stories was obtained with tasks of cartoon-elicited story-telling and auditory-oral retelling. We found deficits in the clinical group with respect to referential cohesion,…

The purpose of this study was to determine the latent structure of the California Verbal Learning Test--Children's Version (CVLT-C; D. Delis, J. Kramer, E.Kaplan, & B. Ober, 1994) in a sample of 175 children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Maximum-likelihood confirmatory factor analyses were performed to test 6 competing hypothetical models…

Children who sustain traumatic brain injury (TBI) can experience significant cognitive deficits. These deficits may significantly impair their functioning in the classroom, resulting in the need for academic and behavioral modifications. Behavior and social problems can be the direct or indirect result of brain injury. Difficulties in paying…