ABI Trajectories

Trajectories and Consequences: Long-term follow-up of children and youth and their families after acquired brain injury (ABI Trajectories Study)

Acquired brain injury (ABI) is one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability among children. The consequences of ABI include physical, cognitive, behavioural, medical, social, and economic outcomes. Recovery from childhood ABI varies a great deal among children. Existing research on the prognosis for childhood ABI generally fails to identify children early in the course of recovery, and also fails to follow-up with all children across the spectrum of injury severity. As a result, little is known about the medium and long-term consequences of ABI among children. This is particularly true for children with mild to moderate ABI who may show clinically important difficulties in the future, in spite of apparently early and complete recovery in the months immediately following injury.

This present study builds on a completed project which followed children/youth who were admitted to McMaster Children's Hospital with a diagnosis of ABI over a period of up to 24 months. The present study continues to follow the same group of children, youth, and their families for another 3-4 years to explore the long-term effects of ABI.

The main objectives of the study are:​

  • to establish recovery trajectories spanning 5 to 7 years for key functional, psychosocial, and academic outcomes, for children with mild, moderate, and severe ABI;
  • to investigate the extent of neuropsychological impairments which persist at 5 years following ABI; and
  • to investigate how the severity of the injury and other key clinical variables predict long-term outcomes for children with ABI.

Research Team

Principal Investigators:

Research Coordinator:​

Co-Investigators:​

  • Mary Law
  • Louise Scott
  • William Mahoney
  • Anne Newman

Project Updates

Newsletters

ABI Trajectories Study Final Newsletter, October 2010

ABI Trajectories Study Newsletter #3, October 2008

ABI Trajectories Study Newsletter #2, October 2007

ABI Trajectories Study Newsletter #1, October 2006  

Presentations

DeMatteo, C., Hanna, S., Mahoney, W., Law, M., Warriner, E., Scott, L., Lin, C., & Yousefi-Nooraie, R. (2010). Neuropsychological Outcomes in Children and Youth after Acquired Brain Injury: A Long-Term Perspective [Abstract]. Brain Injury, 24(3), 419-420.

  • This oral presentation was given at the Eighth World Congress on Brain Injury, Washington, DC, USA.

DeMatteo, C., Hanna, S., Mahoney, W., Law, M., Abdel-Motagally, M., Lin, C., & Yousefi-Nooraie, R. (2010). The Long-Term Quality of Life in Children, Youth, and Young Adults after Acquired Brain Injury [Abstract]. Brain Injury, 24(3), 418.

  • This poster presentation was given at the Eighth World Congress on Brain Injury, Washington, DC, USA.

Mahoney, W., DeMatteo, C., Hanna, S., Hollenberg, R., Scott, L., Newman, A., Law, M., Lin, C., & Xu, L. (2008). Trajectories and predictors of recovery in children with acquired brain injury [Abstract]. Brain Injury, 22(Suppl.1), 56.

  • This oral presentation was given at the Seventh World Congress on Brain Injury, Lisbon, Portugal.




Funder

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2005 - 2009)