Lasting Effects of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

 

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Abstract

The number one cause of death and disability in children and teenagers is traumatic brain injury. Despite this fact, this clinical scourge receives limited research investigation. Given the remarkable recovery often seen after focal childhood brain injuries (infarction, hemorrhage, surgical excision), there is a common misconception that the younger brain is always more resilient. However, increasing evidence suggests that this assumption is incorrect. First, TBI represents a diffuse type of brain injury, and both clinical and laboratory studies suggest that the immature brain is less capable of recovering from such damage. Second, there appear to be developmental windows wherein diffuse injury can result in lost potential; at time this loss may only be detectable at a later stage of brain maturation. In addition to understanding these complex concepts of TBI sustained during development, consideration will also be given to relating these concepts to chronic sequelae of pediatric TBI, including cell death and regional brain atrophy, cognitive and behavioral deficits, and altered trajectories of brain maturation.

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