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Abstracts

Tracking Longitudinal Cognitive Recovery Among Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury for Risk of Post-Traumatic Epilepsy

Abstract number : 2.017
Submission category : 11. Behavior/Neuropsychology/Language / 11A. Adult
Year : 2025
Submission ID : 107
Source : www.aesnet.org
Presentation date : 12/7/2025 12:00:00 AM
Published date :

Authors :
Presenting Author: Taylor Zink, BA – RWJMS

Henry Noren, MSE – RWJMS
Christine yohn, PhD – RWJMS
Abbie Chan, BA – RWJMS
Juliana Cantarutti, BS – RWJMS
Spencer Chen, PhD – Rutgers University
David Scarisbrick, PhD – RWJMS
Hai Sun, MD, PhD – Rutgers University

Rationale: Post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) is a devastating complication in ~20% of victims of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Cognitive impairment is acquired after TBI and is a known comorbidity with PTE. We are interested in whether longitudinal cognitive performance changes in TBI victims can be used to identify their risk of PTE.

Methods: We examined the cognitive performance among TBI patients (n=31) within 18 months post-injury over 3 testing sessions, each approximately 6 months apart.  We compared their cognitive performance with that of healthy controls (HC) and patients with PTE. Neuropsychological assessment measures included Hopkins Verbal Learning Test Revised (HVLT-R), Brief Visuospatial Memory Test Revised (BVMT-R), Digits Forward/Backward and Dots portions of the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB), Trails Testing (TMT), Stroop Test, Symbol Digits Modalities Test (SDMT) and the FAS portion of Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT). We summarized the test results in 6 cognitive domains that reflected their clinical utilization: Working Memory, Visual Learning and Memory, Auditory Learning and Memory, Basic Processing Speed, Complex Processing Speed, and Executive Functioning (Fig. 1). Scores for each test were Z-scored with respect to HC, grouped and averaged to into a composite score under each domain. T-Testing was performed to assess for longitudinal changes in TBI in comparison to HC and PTE cohorts.
 


Results: We recruited 31 TBI patients; 22 have completed the 2nd set of cognitive tests (TBI-B) and 16 have completed the 3rd set (TBI-C). At the 1st testing (TBI-A), TBI performance levels were similar to PTE (n=20), and both are significantly impaired from HC (n=39, p < 0.01, Fig. 1)
Behavior