Cognitive function following head CT in childhood: a randomized controlled follow-up trial:

BackgroundThe question has been raised whether low dose radiation toward the brain in childhood can affect cognitive functions.PurposeTo examine if a head computed tomography (CT) examination in childhood affect later cognitive functions.Material and MethodsA total of 147 participants (67 girls/women, 80 boys/men) from a previous randomized controlled trial on management strategies after mild head injury (head CT examination or in-hospital observation) were followed up. Participants were aged 6–16 years (mean age = 11.2 ± 2.8) at first inclusion and 11–24 years (mean age = 17.8 ± 2.9) at follow-up. Computerized neuropsychological measures used for the assessment were motor speed and coordination, reaction time, selective attention, visuospatial ability, verbal and non-verbal short-term and long-term memory, and executive function tests from the neurocognitive test battery EuroCog and the Wechsler Memory Scale III. Results were analyzed with Student’s t-tests and multivariate analyses adjusting for sex, ag...