ABSTRACT
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is defined as damage or trauma to the spinal cord that results in an interruption of the nerve signals from the brain to parts of the body below the injury. The lack of attention in SCI patients resulting in impaired motor functioning may be attributed to psychological distress following SCI, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. High levels of PTSD were associated with deficits in intellectual functioning (IQ), verbal comprehension, perceptual organisation, working memory, processing speed, learning, concentration and attention in patients with SCI. There were similar findings in correlations between PTSD and neuropsychological functioning in the control group. Considering that PTSD was significantly associated with poorer neuropsychological functioning, it may be deduced that poor emotional and neurocognitive functioning following SCI and amputations may possibly be related to high levels of PTSD. The results of this study highlight the need for clinical psychologists to work closely with individuals with SCI, an acquired physical disability.
