Study reveals effects of drowning-induced brain injury in children

A new study indicates that children who develop brain injury due to non-fatal drowning often experience severe motor deficits but maintain relatively intact perceptual and cognitive capabilities.

The findings were made using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess brain integrity in 11 children with quadriplegia due to drowning-induced brain injury. All were comatose immediately after the injury and gradually regained consciousness, but with varying ability to communicate their cognitive state.