Neurobehavioral findings in whiplash patients with long-lasting symptoms

Abstract

Thirty-four patients with persistent symptoms following whiplash injury and 21 controls with somatic complaints resembling those of the whiplash patients, but with no history of trauma, were studied. Forty-eight neuropsychological test variables were analyzed. The results indicated that whiplash patients with chronic symptoms are not much impaired in their performance as compared with controls. The differences found were not sufficiently strong to be taken as consistent evidence of brain damage occurring as a sequela of whiplash injury.

Perceived Cognitive Deficits, Emotional Distress and Disability following Whiplash Injury

“…The absence of significant differences in perceived cognitive deficits between patients with whiplash injuries and patients with work-related injuries suggests that the mechanism of injury, or associated neural damage, is unlikely to be the basis of perceived cognitive deficits following whiplash injury. It is interesting to note that, in previous studies using objective assessment of cognitive difficulties, patients with whiplash injuries have not differed significantly from patients who were suffering from pain conditions unrelated to whiplash (31,32).…”

The Burden and Determinants of Neck Pain in Whiplash-Associated Disorders After Traffic Collisions

“…37 Nine cross-sectional studies/case series described associations between various health complaints and having persistent WAD. 22,23,34,36,39,42,45,47,50 Three of these studies looked at cognitive functioning/malingering in patients with chronic WAD. 34,39,42 We conclude from these studies that no evidence exists to show that poor cognitive functioning in patients seeking treatment for chronic WAD is the result of demonstrable brain damage; instead, these deficits may be linked to a chronic health condition (including chronic pain).…”

“…22,23,33,34,36,37,39,42,47,50,51 Three of these studies were cohort studies describing the incidence and/or prevalence of factors associated with WAD. 33,37,51 One study describes the prevalence of various precollision health conditions and incidence of postinjury symptoms affecting neck injury insurance claimants in Saskatchewan.…”

Relationship Between Early Somantic, Radiological, Congnitive and Psychosocial Findings and Outcome During a One-Year Follow-Up in 117 Patients Suffering From Common Whiplash

“…While no physiological correlates [5][6][7] can generally be identified after this type of injury, a considerable percentage of patients show protracted disability [3,4,7]. In addition to somatic complaints including neck pain, headache and brachialgia [7][8][9][10] several psychological symptoms [8,11] and cognitive problems [10,[12][13][14] have been documented during the course of the whiplash syndrome. The widespread opinion that protracted symptoms following whiplash reflect neurotic or compensation-seeking behaviour [6,8,[15][16][17][18][19] is not based on experimental studies designed using random patient sampling.…”