Abstract : AbstractIncidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is quite high and a majority of victims suffer with transient cognitive, motor/sensory aberration; some have postmorbid language impairment and residual physical, intellectual, and behavioral deficits. The aim of this study was to investigate the language impairments in 10 Hindi-speaking children subsequent to severe closed head injury (Glasgow Coma Score: less than 8). A detailed language history was taken followed by administration of LPT-Hindi version (Sharma, 1995) and CAAST (Whurr amp; Evans, 1986). The findings on LPT indicated overall reduction in scores on every subtest. The score obtained in phonology was higher than that for syntax and semantics, semantics being the lowest. The differential performance in syntax and semantics mirsufrored the language pattern in normal children but with overall reduced scores. In the semantic section, better performance was observed in semantic discrimination as compared to semantic expression. In CAAST also, all the scores were found to be low, with areas of maximum deficits in the gesture and drawing subtests. Performance on the visual and auditory subtests was comparatively superior to all the other subtests. Thus, language-impaired children with TBI exist as a separate clinical entity. They exhibit certain deficits that could be classified into cognitive communication disorders, as studied by Ylvisaker (1996). These results point to important implications in terms of remediation as well as better understanding of the disorder complex. On the basis of this article, the reader will be acquainted with (1) the basis of deficits in traumatic brain injury (TBI); (2) the impact of these deficits on cognitive and linguistic functions of children with TBI, and (3) an appreciation of the type of linguistic deficits in children with TBI.
