Psychological and Adjustment Problems Due to Acquired Brain Lesions in Pediatric Patients

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe psychological, behavioral, and adjustment problems in children and adolescents with acquired brain lesions of different origins. Three groups of patients with acquired brain lesions (15 patients with infectious origin, 37 with vascular origin, and 15 with other origin), ranging in age from 4 to 18 years, received a psychological evaluation, including the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 4 to 18 and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale. About half of the total sample (47.8%) showed psychological problems. Difficulties varied according to the cause of the brain lesions. The most problematic patients were children with brain lesions of infectious origin, whereas children with brain lesions of vascular origin scored lower on most of the Child Behavior Checklist scales. The authors conclude that psychological and behavioral difficulties are very common among school-aged children with acquired brain lesions, and their relevance and impact must necessarily be considered.