Personality and behavioural change after severe blunt head injury--a relative's view.

Abstract

A close relative of 55 severely head injured adults rated the personality of the patient at 3, 6 and 12 months after injury, using a Yes/No judgement, and analogue scales comprising bipolar adjectives. The relative assessed the "current" as well as the "premorbid" personality at each time. Personality change was associated with many negative scores on the analogue scale, and increasing negative scores were associated with high "subjective burden" on the relative. Severity of injury (post-traumatic amnesia) was of no significance in predicting the extent or pattern of personality change.