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Executive and perceptual functions of the traumatic brain injury and psychiatric patients using trail making test
Abstract
Objective: Brain-behoviour has occupied the minds of scientists recently with more interest on advanced behaviours particularly seen in primates. Cognitive functioning and stimulus processing have received advanced researches. This study was on examination of the performances of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Psychiatric (PT) patients on tests of cognitive functioning and processing using a neuropsychological test called the Trail Making Test (TMT) .
Method: Sixteen participants were used in the study. They included 9 TBI and 7 PT patients that were selected from a teaching and psychiatric hospitals respectively. Their M age was 27.3 with SD age of 5.23. The study employed a between subject group design while Mannwhiteny Ustatistics and observational records were used in data analysis.
Result: The observational technique revealed few behavioural differences during the task (manner of line connections, ability to follow instructions and rotation of the test instruments). The quantitative results showed significant differences on the time taken by both groups to complete the trails (trails A and B) respectively Uobs =9.50 at p <.05 ( for trail A ) and Uobs = 8.50 at p< .01 level of testing with TBI patients taking longer time to complete the task. However, no significant differences were found on the errors made by both groups.
Conclusion: Discussions of the study centered on the differential aetiologies and disturbances in both groups , which thus suggest structural neuro problems to impairment in speed of neural processing and functioning which may be more dominant in TBI than PT patients.
Method: Sixteen participants were used in the study. They included 9 TBI and 7 PT patients that were selected from a teaching and psychiatric hospitals respectively. Their M age was 27.3 with SD age of 5.23. The study employed a between subject group design while Mannwhiteny Ustatistics and observational records were used in data analysis.
Result: The observational technique revealed few behavioural differences during the task (manner of line connections, ability to follow instructions and rotation of the test instruments). The quantitative results showed significant differences on the time taken by both groups to complete the trails (trails A and B) respectively Uobs =9.50 at p <.05 ( for trail A ) and Uobs = 8.50 at p< .01 level of testing with TBI patients taking longer time to complete the task. However, no significant differences were found on the errors made by both groups.
Conclusion: Discussions of the study centered on the differential aetiologies and disturbances in both groups , which thus suggest structural neuro problems to impairment in speed of neural processing and functioning which may be more dominant in TBI than PT patients.
