Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) is a transient period of recovery following traumatic brain injury (TBI) characterised by disorientation, amnesia, and cognitive disturbance. Agitation is common during PTA and presents as a barrier to patient outcome. A relationship between cognitive impairment and agitation has been observed. This prospective study aimed to examine the different aspects of cognition associated with agitation.

The sample comprised 82 participants (75.61% male) admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital in PTA. All patients had sustained moderate to extremely severe brain injury as assessed using the Westmead Post-Traumatic Amnesia Scale (WPTAS) (mean duration = 42.30 days, SD = 35.10). Participants were assessed daily using the Agitated Behaviour Scale and WPTAS as part of routine clinical practice during PTA. The Confusion Assessment Protocol was administered two to three times per week until passed criterion was achieved (mean number assessments = 3.13, SD = 3.76). Multilevel mixed modelling was used to investigate the association between aspects of cognition and agitation using performance on items of mental control, orientation, memory free recall, memory recognition, vigilance, and auditory comprehension.

Findings showed that improvement in orientation was significantly associated with lower agitation levels. A nonsignificant trend was observed between improved recognition memory and lower agitation.

Current findings suggest that the presence of disorientation in PTA may interfere with a patient’s ability to understand and engage with the environment, which in turn results in agitated behaviours. Interventions aimed at maximizing orientation may serve to minimize agitation during PTA.

创伤后健忘症 (PTA) 是创伤性脑损伤 (TBI) 后的短暂恢复期，其特征是定向障碍、健忘症和认知障碍。在 PTA 期间，躁动很常见，是患者预后的障碍。已经观察到认知障碍和激动之间的关系。这项前瞻性研究旨在检查与激越相关的认知的不同方面。

样本包括 82 名参与者（75.61% 男性）入住 PTA 的一家住院康复医院。使用 Westmead 创伤后遗忘量表 (WPTAS) 评估的所有患者都遭受中度至极重度脑损伤（平均持续时间 = 42.30 天，SD = 35.10）。参与者每天使用激动行为量表和 WPTAS 进行评估，作为 PTA 期间常规临床实践的一部分。每周进行 2 到 3 次混淆评估方案，直到达到通过标准（平均评估数 = 3.13，SD= 3.76）。使用多级混合模型来研究认知和激动之间的关联，使用心理控制、定向、无记忆回忆、记忆识别、警觉和听觉理解等项目的表现。

研究结果表明，定向的改善与较低的激动水平显着相关。在改善的识别记忆和较低的激动之间观察到不显着的趋势。

目前的研究结果表明，PTA 中迷失方向的存在可能会干扰患者理解和参与环境的能力，进而导致焦虑的行为。旨在最大化定向的干预措施可能有助于减少 PTA 期间的躁动。