Heterogeneity in Trail Making Test Performance in OEF/OIF/OND Veterans with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract Objective Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with a number of cognitive deficits. Language factors also impact neurocognitive performance. We examined the effects of TBI and bilingualism/monolingualism on a test of attention and executive functioning (Trail Making Test; TMT). Method The sample (N = 96) consisted of 36 healthy controls (19 bilingual; 17 monolingual), 34 acute TBI participants (12 bilingual; 21 monolingual), and 27 chronic TBI participants (16 bilingual; 11 monolingual). Acute TBI participants were tested 6 months post-injury and chronic TBI participants were tested 12 months or more post-injury. 3X2 ANOVAs were conducted to determine the effect of TBI and bilingualism/monolingualism on TMT part A and B. Results Main effects were found between groups (i.e., control and TBI groups) on TMT A, p < .001, ηp² = .17 and TMT B, p < .05, ηp² = .09. Pairwise comparisons revealed a difference only between the control group and the 6-month TBI group, with the latter performing worse. Main effects were found for bilingualism/monolingualism on TMT A, p < .05, ηp² = .04 and TMT B, p < .05, ηp² = .05; monolingual participants performed better than bilingual participants. No interactions emerged. Conclusion Relative to monolinguals, bilingual participants demonstrated worse attention and executive functioning performances 6 months post-TBI; however, 12 months post-TBI, the difference was negligible.

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The Effects of Aging, Malingering, and Traumatic Brain Injury on Computerized Trail-Making Test Performance

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0124345 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. e0124345 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

David L. Woods ◽

John M. Wyma ◽

Timothy J. Herron ◽

E. William Yund

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Test Performance ◽

Trail Making Test ◽

Trail Making ◽

Effects Of Aging

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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Exacerbates Emotional Complaints but not Cognitive Impairments in Individuals Suffering from Postconcussional Disorder after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Zeitschrift für Neuropsychologie ◽

10.1024/1016-264x/a000132 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 35-50 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sara C. Schroeder ◽

Ronald M. Ruff ◽

Lutz Jäncke

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Test Performance ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Composite Scale

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on (a) neuropsychological test performance and (b) self-reported emotional complaints within individuals suffering from postconcussional disorder (PCD) after a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). A two-group comparative research design was employed. Two MTBI samples with and without PTSD were assessed with a neuropsychological test battery and the Ruff Neurobehavioral Inventory (RNBI). On the neurocognitive test performances no significant between group differences were found, but the MTBI group with PTSD endorsed a significantly greater number of emotional complaints, especially in the RNBI subscales of anxiety and depression. The patients with PTSD also endorsed a significantly greater number of premorbid sequelae in the RNBI emotional composite scale as well as the RNBI premorbid subscales of pain, anxiety and abuse. In sum, PTSD has a negative impact on emotional but not cognitive functioning within individuals suffering from PCD after a mild TBI.

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Verbal Recall After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Sensitivity of the Rapid Screen of Concussion

Brain Impairment ◽

10.1375/brim.4.2.155.27027 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 155-167 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Karleigh Jayne Kwapil ◽

Gina Geffen ◽

Ken McFarland ◽

Veronica Eileen DeMonte

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Test Performance ◽

Verbal Learning ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Classification Rate ◽

Delayed Recall ◽

Learning Test

AbstractThe present study aimed to determine whether including a sensitive test of immediate and delayed recall would improve the diagnostic validity of the Rapid Screen of Concussion (RSC) in mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) versus orthopaedic clinical samples. Two studies were undertaken. In Study 1, the performance of 156 mTBI and 145 orthopaedic participants was analysed to identify the number of individuals who performed at ceiling on the verbal memory subtest of the RSC, as this test required immediate and delayed recall of only five words. A second aim was to determine the sensitivity and specificity levels of the RSC. Study 2 aimed to examine whether replacement of the verbal memory subtest with the 12-word Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) could improve the sensitivity of the RSC in a new sample of 26 mTBI and 30 orthopaedic participants. Both studies showed that orthopaedic participants outperformed mTBI participants on each of the selected measures. Study 1 showed that 14% of mTBI participants performed at ceiling on the immediate and 21.2% on delayed recall test. Performance on the original battery yielded a sensitivity of 82%, specificity of 80% and overall correct classification of 81.5% participants. In Study 2, inclusion of the HVLT improved sensitivity to a level of 88.5%, decreased specificity to a level of 70% and resulted in an overall classification rate of 80%. It was concluded that although inclusion of the five-word subtest in the RSC can successfully distinguish concussed from non-concussed individuals, use of the HVLT in this protocol yields a more sensitive measure of subtle cognitive deficits following mTBI.

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Influence of poor effort on neuropsychological test performance in U.S. military personnel following mild traumatic brain injury

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology ◽

10.1080/13803395.2011.648175 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 34 (5) ◽

pp. 453-466 ◽

Cited By ~ 69

Author(s):

Rael T. Lange ◽

Sonal Pancholi ◽

Aditya Bhagwat ◽

Victoria Anderson-Barnes ◽

Louis M. French

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Military Personnel ◽

Test Performance ◽

Neuropsychological Test

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Interpreting the Trail Making Test Following Traumatic Brain Injury: Comparison of Traditional Time Scores and Derived Indices

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology ◽

10.1080/1380339049091290 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 27 (7) ◽

pp. 897-906 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

Rael T. Lange ◽

Grant L. Iverson ◽

Martin J. Zakrzewski ◽

Patrick E. Ethel-King ◽

Michael D. Franzen

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Trail Making Test ◽

Trail Making

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Electrophysiological Markers of Visuospatial Attention Recovery after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci9120343 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 343 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Julie Bolduc-Teasdale ◽

Pierre Jolicoeur ◽

Michelle McKerral

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Information Processing Speed ◽

Visual Short Term Memory ◽

Trail Making ◽

Postconcussion Symptoms ◽

Map Search ◽

And Control

Objective: Attentional problems are amongst the most commonly reported complaints following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), including difficulties orienting and disengaging attention, sustaining it over time, and dividing attentional resources across multiple simultaneous demands. The objective of this study was to track, using a single novel electrophysiological task, various components associated with the deployment of visuospatial selective attention. Methods: A paradigm was designed to evoke earlier visual evoked potentials (VEPs), as well as attention-related and visuocognitive ERPs. Data from 36 individuals with mTBI (19 subacute, 17 chronic) and 22 uninjured controls are presented. Postconcussion symptoms (PCS), anxiety (BAI), depression (BDI-II) and visual attention (TEA Map Search, DKEFS Trail Making Test) were also assessed. Results: Earlier VEPs (P1, N1), as well as processes related to visuospatial orientation (N2pc) and encoding in visual short-term memory (SPCN), appear comparable in mTBI and control participants. However, there appears to be a disruption in the spatiotemporal dynamics of attention (N2pc-Ptc, P2) in subacute mTBI, which recovers within six months. This is also reflected in altered neuropsychological performance (information processing speed, attentional shifting). Furthermore, orientation of attention (P3a) and working memory processes (P3b) are also affected and remain as such in the chronic post-mTBI period, in co-occurrence with persisting postconcussion symptomatology. Conclusions: This study adds original findings indicating that such a sensitive and rigorous ERP task implemented at diagnostic and follow-up levels could allow for the identification of subtle but complex brain activation and connectivity deficits that can occur following mTBI.

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