In a study of 54 children with closed head injury, the relation between neurological severity indicators and the occurrence of long-term sequelae was investigated. Patient data were recorded during the clinical phase and during a 2 year follow up period. A correlation analysis identified early predictors for the occurrence of long-term sequelae. In particular, the duration of coma and of post-traumatic amnesia correlated strongly with the occurrence of neurological, behavioural and intellectual residual sequelae but not with the more subjective complaints.

SUMMARY To assess the duration of post‐traumatic amnesia (PTA) in children, a new procedure is described, derived from a method described previously for adults. The procedure was tested on 70 healthy children between 3·5 and 10 years of age, then applied in a longitudinal prospective study of 54 children with brain damage resulting from closed head‐injury. The procedure consistently measured PTA in children of various ages. The duration of PTA was found to be as good a prognostic indicator for the occurrence of long‐term residual sequelae as is duration of coma. RÉSUMÉ Evaluation de l'amnésie post‐traumatique du jeune enfant L'article décrit une nouvelle méthode, dérivée d'une méthode décrite antérieurement chez l'adulte, pour évaluer la durée de l'amnésie post‐traumatique (PTA) chez l'enfant. Le procédé fut expérimenté chez 70 enfants en bonne santéâgés de trois ans et demi à dix ans et appliquéà une étude prospective longitudinale de 54 enfants ayant présenté un traumatisme céphalique récent. Le procédé mesura de façon réguliére la PTA des enfants à des âges variés. La durée de la PTA se révéla un aussi bon indicateur du risque de séquelles résiduelles a long terme que la durée du coma. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Beurteilung der posttraumatischen Amnesie bei Kleinkindern Es wird eine neue Methode zur Beurteilung der Dauer einer posttraumatischen Amnesie (PTA) bei Kindern vorgestellt, die von einer früher beschriebenen Methode für Erwachsene abgeleitet wurde. Diese Methode wurde bei 70 gesunden Kindern zwischen 3½ und 10 Jahren getesfet und dann in einer prospektiven Langzeitstudie bei 54 Kindern mit einem Schädelhirntrauma angewendet. Mit der Methode wurde die PTA bei Kindern unterschiedlichen Alters gemessen. Die Dauer der PTA stellte sich als ebenso guter prognostischer Indikator für das Auftreten von Spätfolgen heraus wie die Dauer des Komas. RESUMEN Evaluación de la amnesia post‐traumática en niños pequeños Se describe un nuevo método para evaluar la duración de la amnesia post‐traumática (APT), derivada de un método descrito previamente para los adultos. La técnica se ensayó en 70 niños sanos entre 3½ y 10 años de edad, y luego se aplicó a un ensayo prospectivo longitudinal en 54 niños con daño cerebral originado por un traumatismo cerebral cerrado. La técnica consistia en medir la APT en niños de diferentes edades: se observó que la duración de la APT era un indicador pronóstico con respecto a la aparición de secuelas a largo plazo tan bueno, como lo es la duración del coma.

The utility of electroencephalography and computed tomography has been studied in a prospective follow-up study of 54 children with mild and moderately severe closed head injuries. EEG and CT scan were recorded in the acute phase. Furthermore the duration of coma and of post-traumatic amnesia were registrated. During a two years follow up period the presence of residual disorders in various faculties was evaluated at fixed time intervals after discharge. The data have been subjected to correlation analyses to study the relation of EEG and CT scan findings with the severity of the trauma and with the occurrence of longterm sequelae. Both the EEG and the CT scan abnormalities are found to correlate appreciably with the degree of severity and with the occurrence of, in particular, long-term sequelae in the fields of neurological disturbances and school performance. It is concluded that EEG and CT are useful diagnostic tools in children with mild and moderately severe closed head injuries.

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