Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T03:46:31.876Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Speed of word retrieval in postconcussion syndrome

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2006

MARIA A. CRAWFORD ,
ROBERT G. KNIGHT  and
BRENT L. ALSOP
MARIA A. CRAWFORD
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand Maria Crawford is now employed as a clinical psychologist by the Southland District Health Board, Invercargill, New Zealand
ROBERT G. KNIGHT
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
BRENT L. ALSOP
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Speed of information processing in persons with postconcussion syndrome (PCS) was examined using word fluency tasks. Twenty patients with PCS and twenty controls matched for age, gender, and occupation were given two word fluency tasks, and the speed of word generation was measured. Response latencies were analyzed to determine whether slowed retrieval or degradation of words in semantic memory was responsible for problems with word retrieval after traumatic brain injury. The PCS group recalled fewer words, had significantly longer interresponse times, and took significantly longer to generate their first word than the controls. There was no evidence that either structure loss or slowness in word retrieval from semantic memory could account for the word fluency deficits. Rather, the findings suggest that the primary cause of word retrieval difficulties in patients with PCS is a generalized slowness of cognitive processing (JINS, 2007, 13, 178–182.)The study described was part of Maria Crawford's doctoral thesis. This research was supported by a University of Otago Research Grant awarded to Robert G. Knight and a Ph.D. scholarship awarded to Maria Crawford.

Keywords

Postconcussion syndromeInformation processingRetrieval speedWord fluencyMemoryAttention
Type
BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , January 2007 , pp. 178 - 182
Copyright
© 2007 The International Neuropsychological Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance Corporation. (2001). Agreement for provision of mild traumatic brain injury assessment and rehabilitation services. Wellington, New Zealand: Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation and National Health Committee.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders—text revision (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Benton, A.L. & Hamsher, K. (1976). Multilingual aphasia examination. Iowa City: University of Iowa.
Bigler, E.D. (2004). Neuropsychological results and neuropathological findings at autopsy in a case of traumatic brain injury. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 10, 794–806.Google Scholar
Henry, J.D. & Crawford, J.R. (2004). A meta-analytic review of verbal fluency performance following focal cortical lesions. Neuropsychology, 18, 284–295.Google Scholar
Killam, C., Cautin, R.L., & Santucci, A. (2005). Assessing the enduring residual neuropsychological effects of head trauma in college athletes who participate in contact sports. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 20, 599–611.Google Scholar
Levin, H.S., Song, J., Chapman, S.B., & Harward, H. (2000). Neuroplasticity following traumatic diffuse versus focal brain injury in children: Studies of verbal fluency. In H.S. Levin & J. Grafman (Eds.), Cerebral reorganization of function after brain damage (pp. 218–231). New York: Oxford University Press.
McClincy, M.P., Lovell, M.R., Pardini, T., Collins, M.W., & Spore, M.K. (2006). Recovery from sports concussion in high school and college athletes. Brain Injury, 20, 33–39.Google Scholar
Randolph, C. (1998). Repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status. New York: Psychological Corporation.
Raskin, S.A. & Rearick, E. (1996). Verbal fluency in individuals with mild traumatic brain injury. Neuropsychology, 10, 416–422.Google Scholar
Roediger, H.L., Stellon, C.C., & Tulving, E. (1977). Inhibition from part-list cues and rate of recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 3, 174–188.Google Scholar
Rohrer, D., Salmon, D., Wixted, J., & Paulsen, J. (1999). The disparate effects of Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease on semantic memory. Neuropsychology, 13, 381–388.Google Scholar
Rohrer, D., Wixted, J., Salmon, D., & Butters, N. (1995). Retrieval from semantic memory and its implications for Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 21, 1127–1139.Google Scholar
van Zomeren, A. & Deelman, B. (1976). Differential effects of simple and choice reaction after closed head injury. Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, 79, 81–90.Google Scholar