• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2001

Objectives : This study was undertaken to identify the clinical and psychological characteristics in patients of mental disability assessment following traumatic brain injury who had the finding with or without abnormal brain imaging study. Methods : A consecutive series of 59 patients were assessed in hospital from January 1994 to December 1998. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on normal or abnormal brain imaging and the two groups were compared in demographic characteristics, psychiatric symptoms, type of head injury, clinical psychological findings. There were 27 patients with abnormal findings and 32 with normal findings in brain imaging study. Results : Abnormal finding group in brain imaging study had significantly higher incidence of psychosis, decreased memory, decreased appetite, increased nihilistic idea, and intracranial hemorrhage. Also, abnormal finding group showed significantly lower level of performance on the block design subtest of K-WAIS and had significantly lower scores on F, hypochodriasis, depression, hysteria, psychopathic deviate, psychasthenia and schizophrenia subscale of the MMPI. Conclusion : The findings suggest that the patients undergone brain surgery due to intracranial hemorrage at that time of brain injury may have higher frequency of abnormal findings in brain imaging study, complain more cognitive and affective symptoms, and have lower the abstract concept formation and perceptual organization abilities.