Is there an association between traumatic peripheral lesions and cognitive impairments in adults? A scoping review

The aim of this scoping review was to critically review and synthesize the evidence investigating the relationship between traumatic peripheral lesions and cognitive impairments.

Five electronic databases (Medline, Cinahl, Psycinfo, Embase, and Cochrane Library) were searched from inception using the two key concepts “cognition” and “trauma”. An additional manual search was conducted. Articles included were written in English, included an assessment of cognition, study participants experienced any acute peripheral lesion or physical trauma and were between 18 and 65 years. Articles were screened for eligibility by two independent reviewers. Disagreements were resolved by discussion or consensus with a third author.

A total of 11573 records were identified, of which 10 met the inclusion criteria. Whiplash injury, brachial plexus injury, soft tissue injury around the cervical spine, and fracture were found to be associated with cognitive impairments. The earliest cognitive assessment time point was 1-month post injuries, while the latest counterpart was 444 months. Cognition was assessed using 20 unique instruments, targeting 9 distinct cognitive domains.

There is an overall positive association between traumatic peripheral lesions and cognitive impairments. Therefore, further longitudinal research is needed to monitor the changes in cognitive functions post physical trauma.