Risk for broad-spectrum neuropsychiatric disorders after mild traumatic brain injury in a cohort of US Air Force personnel.

BACKGROUND: Military personnel are at increased risk for traumatic brain injury (TBI) from combat and non-combat exposures. Sequelae of moderate-to-severe TBI are well described, but the literature remains conflicted regarding whether mild TBI (mTBI) results in lasting brain injury and functional impairments. This study assessed risk for a range of neuropsychiatric disorders presenting after mTBI while adjusting for the potential confounds of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: A historical prospective association study was conducted utilising electronic demographic, medical and military-specific data for over 49,000 active duty US Air Force service members (Airmen). This study utilised diagnostic codes considered by an expert panel to be indicative of mTBI to identify cases. Cox proportional hazards modelling calculated HRs for neuropsychiatric outcomes while controlling for varying lengths of follow-up and potentially confounding variables. RESULTS: Airmen with mTBI were at increased risk for specific neuropsychiatric disorders compared with a similarly injured non-mTBI control group. HRs for memory loss/amnesia, cognitive disorders, schizophrenia, PTSD, and depression were significantly elevated and remained so for at least 6 months post-mTBI, even after eliminating those with previous neuropsychiatric diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: mTBI was positively associated with neuropsychiatric disorders in this population of primarily young adult males; with increased HRs 6 months post-mTBI. The results support that mTBI is distinguished from moderate-to-severe TBI in terms of risk for developing neuropsychiatric disorders. Further, these findings suggest the importance of screening for psychiatric and cognitive disorders post-mTBI in general medical practice.

Neurologically-related sequelae associated with mild traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) accounts for more than 75% of traumatic brain injuries every year. This study examines the temporal association between non-blast mTBI and the onset of neurologic sequelae to illuminate risks of post-concussive syndrome, epilepsy and chronic pain. METHODS: A large historical prospective study was conducted utilizing electronically-recorded demographic, medical and military-specific data for over half a million active duty US Air Force Airmen. This study utilized diagnostic codes to identify mTBI exposures, two control groups and three post-mTBI time periods. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards modelling. RESULTS: HRs were higher when mTBI exposed Airmen were compared with the full cohort and lower when compared with the other injured group. When compared to the other injured group, mTBI was positively associated with epilepsy/recurrent seizure outcomes, post-concussive syndrome and pain disorders. HRs tended to be highest within the first 30 days and decreased over time. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support that mTBI may have a prolonged neurological impact. Findings are also likely generalizable to young adult populations with exposure to non-blast related mTBI, including civilians, as those included in this study were young adults with a high prevalence of recreational/sports and motor vehicle injuries.

Risk for addiction-related disorders following mild traumatic brain injury in a large cohort of active-duty U.S. airmen.

OBJECTIVE: Military personnel are at increased risk for traumatic brain injury (TBI) from combat and noncombat exposures. The sequelae of moderate to severe TBI are well described, but little is known regarding long-term performance decrements associated with mild TBI. Furthermore, while alcohol and drug use are well known to increase risk for TBI, little is known regarding the reverse pattern. The authors sought to assess possible associations between mild TBI and addiction-related disorders in active-duty U.S. military personnel. METHOD: A historical prospective study was conducted using electronically recorded demographic, medical, and military data for more than a half million active-duty U.S. Air Force service members. Cases were identified by ICD-9-CM codes considered by an expert panel to be indicative of mild TBI. Outcomes included ICD-9-CM diagnoses of selected addiction-related disorders. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to calculate hazard ratios while controlling for varying lengths of follow-up and potential confounding variables. RESULTS: Airmen with mild TBI were at increased risk for certain addiction-related disorders compared with a similarly injured non-mild TBI comparison group. Hazards for alcohol dependence, nicotine dependence, and nondependent abuse of drugs or alcohol were significantly elevated, with a consistent decrease over time. CONCLUSIONS: A novel finding of this study was the initial increased risk for addiction-related disorders that decreased with time, thus eroding war fighter performance in a military population. Moreover, these results suggest that mild TBI is distinguished from moderate to severe TBI in terms of timing of the risk, indicating that there is a need for screening and prevention of addiction-related disorders in mild TBI. Screening may be warranted in military troops as well as civilians at both short- and long-term milestones following mild TBI.