Abstract
The assesment of emotional disturbances in head-injured patients. Emotional and behavioral disorders associated to traumatic brain injury (T.B.I.) have not been sufficiently well studied due to several reasons; among them, the complexity of the underlying aetiological factors and the lack of adequate assessment protocols postraumatic emotional disorders are addressed. In the present paper, the Neurobehavioral Rating Scale-Revised (N.R.S-R) was applied to a sample of 60 T.B.I. patients ranging from very severe to mild severity. Results are consistent with the presence of diffuse dama ge, although it is remarkable that there is a poor performance in items which assess factors related to frontal lobes functioning. A new factor structure for the N.R.S.-R is proposed. Moreover, results are analysed in relation with severity classification criteria (Glasgow Coma Score and postraumatic amnesia). Finally, it is also remarkable the lack of direct relationship between brain injury severity and some emotional disor ders (anxiety and depression), pointing out the importance of awareness as a fundamental variable in explaining the emotional adjustment after a T.B.I.
