F-1-01-05
NEUROBEHAVIOURAL SEQUELAE OF SCHOOL-GOING BRAIN INJURED CHILDREN - A LOCAL TWO YEAR STUDY
V.LAU , E.B.MENON, A. YEOH (DEPT OF REHAB.MEDICINE,TTSH, SINGAPORE)
PURPOSE: Our study was to identify the common behavioural problems of school-going children undergoing Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) rehabilitation and their sequelae upon reintegration into society.
METHOD: The hospital courses 12 school-going TBI patients admitted from January 1995 to January 1997 were studied.
RESULTS: There were 9 boys and 3 girls with a mean age of 11 years. All had a post-traumatic amnesia duration exceeding 24 hours and sustained severe TBI. All our study patients were agitated, fatigued, short attention span for tasks with 50% of them demonstrating inappropriate social and emotional affect. Upon 6 months evaluation, all our patients went back to their home but 7 of them did not return to their pre- morbid level of schooling. Residual social and emotional disturbances remained at home and at school but social isolation, agitation and fatigue persisted predominantly at home after discharge as reported by caregivers.
CONCLUSION: Early intervention between us, family and school is important to predetermine the subsequent behavioural sequelae, care-plan and coping strategies to help the schoolgoing brain injured child for the long term consequences of his injury and for future reintegration into society.
F-1-01-06
THE OUTCOME OF SEVERE HEAD INJURY IN RELATION TO EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
T L Landham (Disablement Services Centre, Medway Hospital, Gillingham, Kent, UK)
J Kerkvliet, Z Matti
During 1990 and 1994 Great Britain was in recession and the level of unemployment was rising amongst able-bodied people. This paper reveals the outcome of 86 patients with severe closed head injuries who made an excellent physical recovery but with various cognitive deficits. Amongst them, some patients underwent a structured rehabilitation programme as opposed to others who underwent ad hoc therapy interventions as and when required.
The follow-up study gives particular attention to education, employment and relationship difficulties as a direct result of their head injury. The analyses of the outcome of this follow-up, indicate that even though the patients had difficulties in their relationships, most patients were able to maintain there relationship with their spouse. In most instances, this was achieved with a change of role in the family. However, their ability to achieve gainful employment or continuation of their education was severely affected during this period, even within the group that underwent structured multi-disciplinary rehabilitation programme.
