Abstract for presentation at 6th World Congress on Brain Injury

Shaken baby syndrome is the inflicted traumatic brain injury most often seen in children under the age of two. This type of physical abuse leads to a significant number of deaths or developmental damage that is often permanent. Neurologically, it is characterized by intracranial and retinal hemorrhage, often accompanied by rib or long bone fractures. Such injuries, caused by the vigorous shaking of a young child, can lead to cerebral edema and the early destruction of neurons. In Canada, 59% of infants hospitalized for shaken baby syndrome show neurological or visual delays or other health problems. Mental delays and cognitive-behavioral problems have also been reported. Recent studies on early cerebral development and medical awareness of the problem has brought about a surge of research on the subject. The current study is a longitudinal case study, an effective method based on the gathering of specific and comparative data relative to one patient. Standard measures were administered at two points in time (5 years 10 months and 7 years 8 months). At the age of 1 ½ months the subject presented medical signs of shaken baby syndrome. When the infant was six months old, intensive multi-dimensional intervention was carried out by a team specializing in neurotraumatology rehabilitation. It was interesting to observe the clinically significant improvement of the subject’s frontal and attention functions, particularly motor inhibition and behavioral adaptation. However, major problems persisted and certain abilities appeared to improve at the expense of others. Functions seemed to appear according to a normal developmental sequence, although improvement remained non significant in several areas. Results are discussed in light of cognitive development theories and recent studies on cerebral development.