Attention and control deficits following closed head injury

Cortex. 1994 Dec;30(4):603-18. doi: 10.1016/s0010-9452(13)80238-9.

Abstract

This study was aimed at identifying the impaired attentional components in patients who had sustained a severe CHI several years before. A group of 14 CHI patients and a Control group (matched for age, sex and education) were tested. Experiment 1 used a dual-task paradigm (Umiltà et al., 1992). The double task-single task difference was greater for the CHI group, indicating a specific damage at a central executive stage where decision are made and responses are coordinated. Experiment 2 used a task-shifting paradigm (Morra and Roncato, 1986). The cost of shifting from one task to the other was greater for the CHI group, but only in the Short Series Condition where a new task-program could be pre-activated. Experiment 3 studied visual selective attention using Navon paradigm (1977); in this case, there was no difference between patients and controls.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attention / physiology*
  • Brain Mapping
  • Decision Making / physiology
  • Discrimination, Psychological / physiology
  • Female
  • Frontal Lobe / physiology
  • Head Injuries, Closed / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology
  • Reaction Time / physiology