Differences between neurocognitive symptoms of a penetrating head injury and closed head injury

Differences between neurocognitive symptoms of a penetrating head injury and closed head injury

How are the neurocognitive symptoms of a penetrating head injury (PHI) different from those of a closed head injury ? 

Diffuse damage after a closed head injury may manifest usually as slowed mental speed, poor attention, and cognitive inefficiency but can also lead to impairment in high-level concept formation, complex reasoning, and executive actions.

The inability to concentrate or perform complex mental operations, confusion, irritability, fatigue, and the inability to do things as before the accident are commonly reported. 

PHI can cause similar problems with attention and concentration, memory functions (most commonly short-term memory), mental slowing, and changes in capacity to deal with everyday intellectual demands.

In addition, PHI can cause specific cognitive deficits related to the site of the lesion. Hence, it can also include lateral and posterior functions, such as language impairment and constructional changes.

These may show improvement over time after PHI, but the general effects of brain damage (distractibility or slowing) might never return to premorbid levels of functioning. 

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