There is research which demonstrates that traumatic head injury (TBI) is associated with
increased incidence of dementia as well as with greater cognitive impairment than is expected
in normal aging. However, this literature remains equivocal; studies exploring head injury as a
risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have yielded conflicting results. The present
study examines morbidity, mortality, cognitive impairment and psychosocial issues in seniors
with a history of head injury of sufficient severity to cause loss of consciousness. These
results suggest that over time, a history of TBI is associated with some increased morbidity
with age. Associations between TBI and changes in personality that may lead to impaired
psychosocial functioning were also suggested by the findings of this study. Specifically, the
results indicated traumatic brain injury may be associated with marital breakdown and social
isolation. Additional results suggest that people who have sustained a TBI have an increased
likelihood of living in a nursing home or chronic-care facility.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/1279 |
| Date | 08 December 2008 |
| Creators | Motier, Bonnice A. |
| Contributors | Higenbottam, John Allyn, Goldwater, Bram |
| Source Sets | University of Victoria |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Available to the World Wide Web |
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