Biomaterial Database

Reaction time indicators of attention deficits in closed head injury. 1999

T P Zahn, and A F Mirsky

National Institute of Mental Health Section on Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology Laboratory of Brain and Cognition Bethesda, MD 20892-1366, USA. tedvzahn@nih.gov

The nature of deficits in attention in closed head injury (CHI) was studied by three reaction time (RT) paradigms given to 20 patients who had a CHI 2 or more years previously and to 25 controls. We studied the effects of temporal uncertainty by varying the length and regularity of the preparatory interval, the effects of stimulus modality uncertainty on simple RT to tones and lights, and the effects of response selection in choice RT. The CHI group showed slower and more variable RT than controls under all conditions. In addition, a long preparatory interval on the preceding trial retarded RT more in the CHI group, and they showed greater effects of stimulus modality uncertainty. Both of these findings suggest a difficulty in shifting attention to unexpected stimuli. These greater effects on RT of variations of attention or preparation in CHI may account for their greater within-subject variability possibly due to frontal lobe damage.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011930	Reaction Time	The time from the onset of a stimulus until a response is observed.	Response Latency,Response Speed,Response Time,Latency, Response,Reaction Times,Response Latencies,Response Times,Speed, Response,Speeds, Response
D012033	Refractory Period, Psychological	A delayed response interval occurring when two stimuli are presented in close succession.	Period, Psychological Refractory,Periods, Psychological Refractory,Psychological Refractory Period,Psychological Refractory Periods,Refractory Period, Psychologic,Refractory Periods, Psychological,Period, Psychologic Refractory,Periods, Psychologic Refractory,Psychologic Refractory Period,Psychologic Refractory Periods,Refractory Periods, Psychologic
D001925	Brain Damage, Chronic	A condition characterized by long-standing brain dysfunction or damage, usually of three months duration or longer. Potential etiologies include BRAIN INFARCTION; certain NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS; CRANIOCEREBRAL TRAUMA; ANOXIA, BRAIN; ENCEPHALITIS; certain NEUROTOXICITY SYNDROMES; metabolic disorders (see BRAIN DISEASES, METABOLIC); and other conditions.	Encephalopathy, Chronic,Chronic Encephalopathy,Chronic Brain Damage
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D001288	Attention	Focusing on certain aspects of current experience to the exclusion of others. It is the act of heeding or taking notice or concentrating.	Focus of Attention,Selective Attention,Social Attention,Attention Focus,Attention, Selective,Attention, Social,Selective Attentions
D016022	Case-Control Studies	Comparisons that start with the identification of persons with the disease or outcome of interest and a control (comparison, referent) group without the disease or outcome of interest. The relationship of an attribute is examined by comparing both groups with regard to the frequency or levels of outcome over time.	Case-Base Studies,Case-Comparison Studies,Case-Referent Studies,Matched Case-Control Studies,Nested Case-Control Studies,Case Control Studies,Case-Compeer Studies,Case-Referrent Studies,Case Base Studies,Case Comparison Studies,Case Control Study,Case Referent Studies,Case Referrent Studies,Case-Comparison Study,Case-Control Studies, Matched,Case-Control Studies, Nested,Case-Control Study,Case-Control Study, Matched,Case-Control Study, Nested,Case-Referent Study,Case-Referrent Study,Matched Case Control Studies,Matched Case-Control Study,Nested Case Control Studies,Nested Case-Control Study,Studies, Case Control,Studies, Case-Base,Studies, Case-Comparison,Studies, Case-Compeer,Studies, Case-Control,Studies, Case-Referent,Studies, Case-Referrent,Studies, Matched Case-Control,Studies, Nested Case-Control,Study, Case Control,Study, Case-Comparison,Study, Case-Control,Study, Case-Referent,Study, Case-Referrent,Study, Matched Case-Control,Study, Nested Case-Control
D016489	Head Injuries, Closed	Traumatic injuries to the cranium where the integrity of the skull is not compromised and no bone fragments or other objects penetrate the skull and DURA MATER. This frequently results in mechanical injury being transmitted to intracranial structures which may produce TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES, hemorrhage, or CRANIAL NERVE INJURIES. (From Rowland, Merritt's Textbook of Neurology, 9th ed, p417)	Head Injuries, Nonpenetrating,Head Trauma, Closed,Closed Head Injuries,Head Injury, Blunt,Head Injury, Nonpenetrating,Injuries, Closed Head,Blunt Head Injuries,Blunt Head Injury,Closed Head Injury,Closed Head Trauma,Closed Head Traumas,Head Injuries, Blunt,Head Injury, Closed,Head Traumas, Closed,Nonpenetrating Head Injuries,Nonpenetrating Head Injury