There have been numerous reports on the survival rate after rupture of an intracranial aneurysm, but the actual quality of survival amongst those who recover has been little studied. In this paper the physical, emotional, and intellectual state of a group of 79 survivors from rupture of an anterior cerebral aneurysm is recorded.

The literature of the psychological effects of brain injury is extensive and disconnected. It abounds in inadequate definitions, incompatible theories and disagreements as to appropriate methods of investigation. This situation results partly from the variety of disciplines which guide different investigators; but it results too from the great logical difficulties encountered by anybody who seeks to throw light on normal intelligent behaviour by studying the effects of cerebral lesions. Some have even argued that such attempts are always unprofitable (47, 77).

Psychologists are frequently asked to say whether, in the case of a particular patient, there is evidence of organic dementia. At first sight this would not appear to be an unreasonable request. A considerable amount is known about the performance of normal people on tests of cognitive function and it might be supposed that people who work with tests of human ability should be able to modify their procedures to the purpose of diagnosing intellectual deterioration when this is not obvious on routine neurological or psychiatric examination. Moreover, it might seem that the frequent presence of independent criteria of brain damage provided by neurological and neurosurgical investigations should facilitate the development of competent diagnostic clinical psychology in the neurological field.