Remembering to carry out intentions following traumatic brain injury in older adults

Abstract

Research with young adults has found that many cognitive domains can be affected by mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), including attention, processing speed, learning and memory. Nevertheless, recovery of cognitive performance is generally expected by 3 months following an uncomplicated mild TBI. Whether similar good levels of recovery can be expected in an older population remains to be demonstrated. Furthermore, it has been argued that remembering delayed intentions (prospective memory) may be a more insightful outcome measure as it requires the integration and co-ordination of a number of cognitive processes, thus making it a sensitive and ecologically valid measure of cognitive functioning post-TBI.