Characteristics and neuropsychological impact of traumatic brain injury in female prisoners.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of head injury (HI) and its association with offending behaviour, psychological and neurobehavioral functioning, and cognitive performance in female prisoners.Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, female prisoners in the UK reporting a HI with a loss of consciousness (LOC) over ten minutes (n = 10) were compared with a group without a HI with LOC over ten minutes (n = 41) across a range of measures; including scores on standardized clinical questionnaires and performance-based cognitive assessments. Semi-structured clinical interviews assessed HI and forensic history, with forensic history triangulated against the prison database.Results: Domestic abuse was the most frequently reported cause of HI. The HI with LOC group had been to prison a greater number of times and had committed a greater number violent offences. No significant difference was found on self-reported psychological and neurobehavioral measures, or between the groups' cognitive functioning on neuropsychological tests.Conclusions: Psychosocial factors such as trauma may contribute to higher rates of violent offending and imprisonment in those with a HI with LOC. Domestic abuse is an important factor in HI amongst female prisoners. Forensic screening and interventions need to be designed, adapted and evaluated with consideration of trauma and HI.

Utility of the Brain Injury Screening Index in Identifying Female Prisoners With a Traumatic Brain Injury and Associated Cognitive Impairment.

There is a high prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in prisoners, but screening tools for identifying TBI in female prisoners are not readily available. Using a cross-sectional design, the psychometric properties of the Brain Injury Screening Index (BISI) were investigated in a closed United Kingdom female prison. Purposive sampling comprised 56 females. Assessment included clinical interview, the BISI, self-report measures of mood, and a battery of measures of cognitive functioning. Seven of the 10 clinical indicators on the BISI met test-retest reliability criteria. Two of the three BISI summary variables demonstrated correlations with questionnaires in the hypothesized directions; however, only two BISI variables were associated with cognitive functioning. Findings support further investigation into the validity and reliability of the BISI with a larger sample.