Abstract：
Epidural Hematoma (EDH) is a common condition of traumatic brain injury. It has a good prognosis if prompt surgical intervention is conducted. There is a dearth of studies on neuropsychological assessment of executive functioning exclusively in post-operative EDH patients. Moreover, age as a variable in determining executive functions in patients post-head injury, has been studied mostly in the older adults. This cross-sectional case-control study assessed Executive Functions (EF) in 62 post-surgery patients with EDH and compared 57 healthy controls (HC) using standardized assessment tools of sustained attention, speed, working memory, fluency, set-shifting, perseveration, planning, and response inhibition. Further, executive functions in two phases of adulthood, viz. Early Adulthood (20-39 years) and Middle Adulthood (40-60 years) were compared in the EDH group (E-EDH and M-EDH) and HC (E-HC and M-HC). A two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and correlational analysis was conducted. Results showed a trend where the M-EDH group performed significantly poorer on executive function tests (viz a viz., time taken, errors, and correct responses), followed by E-EDH, M-HC, and E-HC. The main effect of age was found significant on Digit Symbol, Color Trail 1, N-Back 2, Animal Naming, and Stroop Effect (p < 0.01 level) while N-Back 1, WCST-PE, and Tower of London (p < 0.05 level). The findings have significant clinical and therapeutic implications. In addition, it gives guidance regarding planning specific neuropsychological tests and rehabilitation targeting specific areas of executive functions decline due to age in EDH post-surgery patients.
摘要：
硬膜外血肿（EDH）是颅脑外伤的常见病。如果及时进行手术干预，预后良好。仅对EDH术后患者的执行功能进行神经心理学评估的研究很少。此外，年龄作为确定颅脑损伤后患者执行功能的变量，主要在老年人中进行研究。这项横断面病例对照研究评估了62例EDH术后患者的执行功能（EF），并使用持续关注的标准化评估工具比较了57例健康对照（HC）。速度,工作记忆,流利,设定换档,坚持,规划,和反应抑制。Further,成年两个阶段的执行功能，viz.在EDH组（E-EDH和M-EDH）和HC（E-HC和M-HC）中比较了成年早期（20-39岁）和成年中期（40-60岁）。进行了双向方差分析(ANOVA)和相关分析。结果显示，M-EDH组在执行功能测试中的表现明显较差（即,时间,错误,和正确的回答)，其次是E-EDH,M-HC,E-HC。发现年龄对数字符号的主要影响显着，颜色轨迹1,N-Back2,动物命名,和Stroop效应(p<0.01水平)，而N-Back1，WCST-PE，和伦敦塔（p<0.05水平）。这些发现具有重要的临床和治疗意义。此外,它为针对EDH术后患者因年龄而导致执行功能下降的特定区域制定特定神经心理学测试和康复计划提供指导.
