Cognitive deficits and depression in a spinal cord injured population

Abstract

Earlier studies researching brain trauma injury concomitant with spinal cord injury have focused either on establishing the incidence of cognitive deficits or on demonstrating the presence of depression. The purpose of this project was to test the hypothesis that cognitive deficits and depression co-exist in patients who have sustained recent spinal cord injuries. A second objective was to examine the relationship between cognitive deficits and depression. A third objective was to determine whether loss of consciousness and/or posttraumatic amnesia were related to cognitive deficits and/or depression. Other ancillary objectives replicated and/or extended earlier work in the area.;This retrospective cross-sectional study examined the relationship between acute injury data (loss of consciousness (LOC) and post-traumatic amnesia (PTA)), cognitive deficits and depression in 30 men and women, aged 18 to 75, who had sustained recent traumatic spinal cord injuries.;During initial rehabilitation hospitalization, subjects underwent a battery of hands-free neuropsychological and psychological tests to assess cognitive deficits and depression. Also at that time, LOC/PTA data was gathered.;Statistical analysis revealed that patients in this sample were significantly more cognitively impaired and were more depressed when compared with published normative data. In addition, the sample was significantly more cognitively impaired than comparable SCI populations. Further analyses yielded a high (p {dollar}\leq{dollar}.05) correlation between cognitive deficits and depression, and found that six variables predicted 67% of the variance for depression in this population. It was also discovered that positive LOC and/or PTA did not have a significant relationship with either cognitive deficits or depression.;It is hoped that this study will foster greater empathy toward SCI patients by staff and family, and that these results will spur rehabilitation staff to screen all SCI patients using neuropsychological and depression batteries. Accurate assessment of presence and nature of cognitive deficits and depression during the rehabilitation phase is vital. This is the time when skills are taught which will allow the patient optimal social, physical and emotional reintegration into the community and emotional acceptance of his strengths and deficits.