Exploring the measurement of pediatric cognitive-communication disorders in traumatic brain injury research: A scoping review

To synthesize information about the constructs measured, measurement instruments used, and the timing of assessment of cognitive-communication disorders (CCDs) in pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) research. Scoping review conducted in alignment with Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage methodological framework and reported per the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews. Inclusion criteria: (a) cohort description, case–control, and treatment studies; (b) participants with TBI aged 5–18 years; (c) communication or psychosocial outcomes; and (d) English full-text journal articles. The first author reviewed all titles, abstracts, and full-text articles; 10% were independently reviewed. Following screening, a total of 687 articles were included and 919 measurement instruments, measuring 2134 unique constructs, were extracted. The Child Behavior Checklist was the most used measurement instrument and ‘Global Outcomes/Recovery’ was the construct most frequently measured. The length of longitudinal monitoring ranged between ≤3 months and 16 years. We found considerable heterogeneity in the constructs measured, the measurement instruments used, and the timing of CCD assessment in pediatric TBI research. A consistent approach to measurement may support clinical decision-making and the efficient use of data beyond individual studies in systematic reviews and meta-analyses.