Head Injuries in Kids Linked to 'Secondary ADHD', Study Says

A study that was published in the journal Pediatrics on Aug. confirms that traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to the development of secondary attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

According to Health Day, even mild brain injuries can cause children to experience momentary lapses in attention, long-term. The Washington Post adds that children with TBI may also process information slower, resulting in a lower I.Q. level.

Furthermore, the study found that children who suffered from a brain injury in the past have the tendency to either internalize their problems, like feelings of anxiety, or externalize their emotions , like the feeling of aggression. 

For the study, the researchers observed the mental functions of 113 children, ranging from the age of six to 13. The children were split into two separate categories.

One group contained children who had experienced a form of physical trauma, but not in the head region. Whereas the other group of children had suffered from TBI in the past. 

It seems that those who suffered from TBI were split further into subgroups: those that experienced moderate to severe TBI and those that dealt with mild TBI, reports Reuters.

The site explains that in moderate to severe cases of TBI, children would have suffered from amnesia for at least an hour after the injury, or lost consciousness for more than 30 minutes. Whereas, those who suffered from mild TBI would have either vomited or had seizures. 

One and a half years after the observations, the researchers handed out questionnaires to the parents and teachers of the children. The evaluation asked the teachers and parents to rate the children's attention problems and other mental health indicators.

According to the evaluations, overall the children who experienced TBI received lower scores on their IQ tests compared to the other trauma group. In addition, children who experienced moderate or severe TBI scored even lower on their I.Q. tests and had more lapses of attention, compared to the children who suffered from mild TBI. 

Futhermore, children in the TBI group exhibited other issues like internalizing or externalizing problems, states the Washington Post.

Marsh Konigs, head researcher of the study and doctoral candidate at VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands, explained:

"Parents, teachers, and doctors should be aware that attention impairment after traumatic brain injury can manifest as very short lapses in focus, causing children to be slower."

He added that while this study did not research treatment options for lapses in attention, other studies suggest that stimulant treatment (methylphenidate) could also work on children with TBI. He went on to explain that methylphenidate has been known to successfully reduce lapses in children with ADHD and those who have survived cancer.