The Impact of Head Injury Severity on Planning Ability in Adolescence: A Functional Analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of head injury (HI) on executive skills in adolescents. The sample included a mild to moderate HI group (n = 17), a severe HI group (n = 16), and a matched control group (n = 17). Subjects were administered an IQ test and a complex planning task, requiring adolescents to plan an unexpected party. Qualitative features of planning strategies and error patterns were recorded. Significant group differences were noted, with the severe group making more errors and using less efficient strategies on the planning task. No differences were detected between the mild to moderate group and controls, although performances were not indicative of mature planning. Thus, while a history of severe HI is associated with deficits in planning skills, this is not so for milder HI. Further, care needs to be taken not to over-interpret poor planning in this clinical population without considering the normal developmental course of these skills.