Abstract for presentation at 6th World Congress on Brain Injury

Executive functions are a group of cognitive and behavioral processes that underlie goal-directed activities (Lezak, 1995). This multi-dimensional construct coordinates such activities through skills that include anticipation and planning (Anderson, Anderson, Northam, Jacobs &. Mikiewicz, 2002). According to these authors, damage to the frontal lobe, primarily the prefrontal cortex, has an impact on executive functioning. The development of executive functions in children is of vital importance to adaptive and behavioral functioning and academic success. It is therefore essential that the measures used be adapted to that clientele (Anderson et al., 2002). The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF; Gioa et al., 2000) is an assessment scale used by parents and teachers, and is designed to evaluate executive control-related behaviors in children. According to Anderson et al. (2002), it is the first instrument developed that measures these aspects in children. The BRIEF is particularly valid from an ecological standpoint in that it is sensitive to difficulties that affect activities in everyday life (Denckla, 2002). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the relevance of using the BRIEF to document pre- and post-TBI frontal deficits. Twenty-five children (17 boys, 8 girls) between the ages of 6 and 16 at the time of their TBI (moderate to severe) (M = 10.2 years, ±3.7) were recruited at two physical rehabilitation centers in Quebec, Canada. The parents completed the BRIEF, providing both a pre-TBI and post-TBI portrait of their child. The average time between the TBI and the assessment was 3.2 years (± 1.6). Results revealed a significant difference between the pre- and post-TBI measures on the eight scales covered by the questionnaire. Furthermore, most of the children’s post-TBI scores were at the clinical level. The results are discussed in light of studies done by Anderson et al. (2002) and de Gioa et al. (2002).