Una nuova sottoscala della symptom checklist 90-r come strumento di screening nei soggetti con lesioni cerebrali: la brain injury subscale

The Symptom Checklist 90-R is a self - report questionnaire used in the clinical setting and in research. Studies show that high scores on the subscales of the SCL-90-R in neurological patients are related to brain injury rather than to the presence of psychopathology. Woessner and Caplan have identified the Brain Injury Subscale (BIS), consisting of 14 items of the SCL-90-R related to the outcomes of a head injury. The aim of this study is the comparison of profiles and symptom scores of the BIS subscale of SCL-90-R. Methods: the answers to the BIS subscale and the various subscales of the SCL-90-R have been compared in patients with brain injury and patients with organic diseases. Results: the scores of patients with brain injuries result elevated compared to patients with organic diseases and to healthy subjects. The comparison between the subscales of the two clinical groups showed significantly higher scores in those with brain injuries in PSY, OBS and GSI. Conclusions: The results of this study show the importance of using the BIS subscale to distinguish the presence of a brain injury from a psychopathology. The results emphasize the possibility of using the BIS subscale as screening in clinical settings.