Developmental Insult and Intervention
Enhancing understanding of childhood brain injuries
We aim to deepen the understanding of how injuries to a child’s brain can impact cognitive, behavioural, and social development.
Types of brain injuries we study include traumatic brain injury and non-traumatic brain injury such as stroke Additionally, we focus on tailoring and administering interventions to support young children with brain injuries and insults.
Our research goals
- Characterise longitudinal consequences: We study the long-term functional outcomes of acquired brain injuries sustained in childhood.
- Identify key factors: We identify risk, resilience, and protective factors to inform effective intervention strategies.
- Develop tailored interventions: We develop and customise interventions to assist families and children dealing with cognitive, behavioural, and social issues related to their acquired brain injuries.
Psychological assessment
The Brain and Mind group offers comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological testing services to research groups within Murdoch Children’s and for commercially funded clinical trials.
Our team of trained psychologists is experienced in the standardised administration, scoring, and interpretation of psychological assessments.
We also provide additional research services, including consultation on research protocol development.
Contact us
Please contact us to discuss your psychological assessment needs and the associated fees before applying for funding.
Email: show email address
Team Leaders
Group Members
Our projects
Traumatic brain injury across the lifespan study
In Australia, the lifetime cost per individual for an injury sustained in adulthood is estimated at:
- $5 million for a severe injury
- $3.7 million for a moderate injury
While there are no specific estimates for injuries sustained in childhood, it is likely that the lifetime costs (spanning over 60 years if injured as a pre-schooler) would be even higher.
Challenges of traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Currently, there is no cure for the damage caused by a TBI. This leaves patients and their families to manage chronic, often lifelong challenges in areas such as:
- Behaviour
- Cognition
- Psychosocial functioning
Our study
By pooling and harmonising data sets from our team at MCRI, along with data from key TBI researchers in Australia and New Zealand, we aim to:
- Identify recovery trajectories across the lifespan
- Study individuals sustaining a TBI during:
- Childhood (pre-school, school-age)
- Adolescence
- Adulthood (early, middle, and late)
- Identify risk, resilience, and protective factors to inform effective intervention strategies
Recovery after stroke in young children study
Our research
In collaboration with The Royal Children’s Hospital Child Stroke Program, our team is studying the impact of stroke on the developing brain. In a pioneering study, we systematically tracked recovery across multiple health domains by following a group of children for five years after a stroke.
Our findings indicate that recovery depends on the child’s age, with impairments potentially emerging long after the stroke, especially in young children.
Key findings
- Individualised care: Our results suggest that children require a personalised approach to care and rehabilitation, with long-term monitoring.
- Family environment: We found that the family environment, particularly parents' mental health, is a crucial predictor of outcomes.
Clinical guidelines
In 2019, we developed Australia’s first clinical guideline for the subacute rehabilitation of childhood stroke, providing health professionals with essential care recommendations.
Current research
Our team is dedicated to improving outcomes for children affected by stroke and their families. Our current research focuses on:
- Identifying children most at risk of developing problems
- Developing effective treatments to support these children
Funding
Thanks to our key partners, funders, and supporters.
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- Stroke Foundation
- Vanguard Foundation
- Myer Foundation
Featured publications
Greenham, M., Gordon, A., Cooper, A., Hearps, S., Ditchfield, M., Coleman, L., Hunt, R.W., Mackay, M.T., Monagle, P., Anderson, V. (2021). Fatigue following pediatric arterial ischemic stroke: Prevalence and associated factors. Stroke, 52 (10), 3286–3295.
Crowe, L., Catroppa, C., Babl, F., Godfrey, C., Anderson, V. (2021). Long-term intellectual function after traumatic brain injury in very young children. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 36(2), 126-133.
Tuli-Sood, N., Godfrey. C., Chavez-Arana, C., Anderson, V., Catroppa, C. (2022). Paediatric traumatic brain injury and the dysregulation profile: The mediating role of decision-making. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation. doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2022.2025861
Yumul J, Catroppa C, Anderson V, McKinlay A, Crowe L. (2021). Post-concussive signs and symptoms in preschool children: A systematic review. Neuropsychology Review.
Crowe, L., Brown, A., Peters, H. (2021). Cognitive and behavioural profiles of children with Aspartylglucosaminuria: a case series. Journal of Pediatric Neurology. doi:10.1055/s-0041-1730964.
Ryan, N.P., Catroppa, C., Hughes, N., Painter, F., Hearps, S., Beauchamp, M.H., Anderson, V. (2021). Executive function mediates the prospective association between neurostructural differences within the central executive network and anti-social behavior after childhood traumatic brain injury. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 62(9), 1150-1161.
Greenham, M., Knight, S., Rodda, J., Scheinberg, A., Anderson, V., Fahey, M., Mackay, M. (2021). Australian clinical consensus guideline for the subacute rehabilitation of childhood stroke. International Journal of Stroke, 16(3), 311-320.
Catroppa, C., Botchway, E., Ryan, N.P., Anderson, V., Morrison, E., Sood, N. (2021). Evaluating the feasibility and efficacy of the Amsterdam Memory and Attention Training for Children (Amat-c) following acquired brain injury (ABI). Brain Impairment. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/BrImp.2021.13.
Crowe, L., Darling S., Chow, J. (2021). Assessing social cognition in children. In S. McDonald (Ed.), Clinical Disorders of Social Cognition (pp. 108-144). Routledge.
Ryan, N.P, Greenham, M., Gordon, A., Ditchfield, M., Coleman, L., Cooper, A., Crowe, L., Hunt, R., Monagle, P., Mackay, M., Anderson, V. (2021). Social Cognitive Dysfunction Following Pediatric Arterial Ischemic Stroke: Evidence from a Prospective Cohort Study. Stroke, 52, 1609-1617.
Ryan, N.P., Anderson, V.A, Bigler, E.D., Dennis, M., Taylor, H.G., Rubin, K.H., Vannatta, K., Gerhardt, C.A., Stancin, T., Beauchamp, M.H., Hearps, S., Catroppa, C., Yeates, K.O. (2021). Delineating the Nature and Correlates of Social Dysfunction after Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury Using Common Data Elements: Evidence from an International Multi-Cohort Study. Journal of Neurotrauma, 38 (2), 252-260.
Anderson V, Darling S, Mackay M, Monagle P, Greenham M, Cooper A, Hunt RW, Hearps S, Gordon AL. Cognitive resilience following paediatric stroke: Biological and environmental predictors. Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2020 Mar;25:52-58. doi: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2019.11.011. Epub 2019 Nov 27. PMID: 31866101.
Botchway, E. N., Godfrey, C., Anderson, V., & Catroppa, C. (2019). A systematic review of sleep-wake disturbances in childhood traumatic brain injury: Relationship with fatigue, depression, and quality of life. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 34(4), 241-256.
Crowe L, Collie A, Hearps S, Dooley J, McCrory P, Davis G, Anderson V. (2018). Cognitive and physical symptoms of concussive injury in children: a detailed longitudinal recovery study. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(5), 311-6.
Ryan NP, Genc S, Beauchamp MH, Yeates KO, Hearps S, Catroppa C, Anderson VA, Silk TJ. White matter microstructure predicts longitudinal social cognitive outcomes after paediatric traumatic brain injury: a diffusion tensor imaging study. Psychol Med. 2018 Mar;48(4):679-691. doi: 10.1017/S0033291717002057. Epub 2017 Aug 7. PMID: 28780927.
Catroppa C, Crossley L, Hearps S, et al. (2017). Social and behavioural outcomes following childhood traumatic brain injury: What predicts outcome at 12 months post-insult? Journal of Neurotrauma, 34, 1439-47.
Catroppa C, Stone K, Hearps S, et al. (2015). Evaluation of an attention and memory intervention post-childhood acquired brain injury: Preliminary efficacy, immediate and 6 months post-intervention. Brain Injury, 29(11), 1317–24.