TBI TBI Cognitive & Behavioral Outcomes

Question 1

Which cognitive domain is most commonly impaired following mild TBI?

Accepted Answer

Attention and processing speed

Answer

Attention deficits and slowed processing speed are the most consistently reported cognitive impairments after mild TBI/concussion.

Question 2

What is 'post-traumatic amnesia' (PTA) and why is its duration clinically important?

Accepted Answer

Period of confusion and inability to form new memories after injury; predicts severity and prognosis

Answer

PTA duration — the time until continuous memory returns — is a strong predictor of TBI severity and long-term functional outcome.

Question 3

Frontal lobe damage from TBI most commonly results in which behavioral changes?

Accepted Answer

Disinhibition, impulsivity, poor executive function, and emotional dysregulation

Answer

The frontal lobe governs executive function and behavioral control; damage causes disinhibition, impulsivity, and difficulty planning.

Question 4

Which standardized tool is used to assess post-traumatic amnesia and track cognitive recovery?

Accepted Answer

Westmead PTA Scale

Answer

The Westmead PTA Scale is a validated bedside tool used to track orientation and memory during the PTA phase of TBI recovery.

Question 5

Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) after TBI is characterized by which symptom pattern?

Accepted Answer

Involuntary, uncontrollable episodes of laughing or crying disproportionate to mood

Answer

PBA involves involuntary emotional expression — laughing or crying — disconnected from the patient's actual emotional state due to corticobulbar pathway disruption.

TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury Certification Practice Test

TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury Certification Practice Test

TBI TBI Cognitive & Behavioral Outcomes