Date of Award

2017

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

Psychology

Sub-Department

College of Arts and Sciences

First Advisor

Scott Decker

Abstract

Electroencephalography (EEG) and neuropsychological test measures have been previously used to understand the underlying brain changes in individuals with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, literature discussing the relationship between EEG and neuropsychological test performance is scarce and, further, has not been investigated explicitly in children. The purpose of this study is to investigate the cognitive and academic deficits in children with traumatic brain injury and, additionally, this study aims to understand the underlying relationship between EEG and neuropsychological test performance among this sample. Analyses included twenty-one participants between the ages of 8 and 19 years of age (male, n=14; female, n=7). Mean subtest and composite scores were compared to the WJ-IV normative sample mean. Regression analyses were used to determine whether EEG alpha and beta coherence values were related to the processing speed composite score (Gs) from the Woodcock- Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ-IV Cog). The current study found that children with TBI exhibit general deficits across all subtests below what would be expected of the general population. Further, several coherence measures in the alpha and beta bands could significantly predict processing speed scores. Findings from this study provide evidence of a relationship between EEG and the Gs composite score on the WJIV Cog.

Rights

© 2017, Joseph Ferraracci

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