CHC abilities and mild traumatic brain injury: Meta-analysis

I just read the following new meta-analysis of the mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) neuropsychological literature since 1995. The meta-analysis synthesized 17 research studies.

Frencham, K., Fox, A. & Maybery, M. (2005). Neuropsychological studies of mild traumatic brain injury: A meta-analytic review of research since 1995. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 27, 334-351.

Given my CHC orientation, I took the liberty of converting the neuropsychological domains reported in the manuscript into CHC terminology. Below are the major highlights from the study (CHC factor notation is inserted by me).

• "...we found that there was a small positive effect of mTBI on neuropsychological performance across all stages post-injury"

• "...our study shows that measure of speed of processing (Gs), working memory and attention (Gsm), memory (Glr), and executive function (Gf?/Glr?) may be the most sensitive to dysfunction in individuals after mTBI, with memory (Glr) being particularly affected in the acute phase, and showing resolution with time since injury"

• "In line with Binder et al.'s findings, we also noted a significant effect in the area of working memory/attention (Gsm) and speed of processing (Gs), domains combined under their attention and concentration label (cognitive efficiency)"

• "...the effect of mTBI attenuated over time...the main part of recovery after mTBI occurs within the first thre months, with any subsequent changes in performance being of limited statistical and clinical significance"

• "...memory (Glr) was the only neuropsychological domain that was associated with time since injury"

It is interesting to note the finding, which I've seen repeatedly in other studies and which I have seen in clinical samples of subjects who have taken the WJ-R and WJ III, that the CHC domains of Gs and Gsm (working memory in particular) [which is often referred to as "cognitive efficiency"] are sensitive indicators to disruption of cognitive functioning due to various types of clinical disorders.

I also find it interesting that measures of verbal comprehension (Gc) and perceptual organization (Gv) where not consistently associated with mTBI.