Associations Among PTSD and Postconcussive Symptoms in the Long-Term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Prospective, Longitudinal Study Cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To describe rates of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with and without concurrent posttraumatic stress disorder a sample of former and current military personnel, and to compare the factor structure of the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) based on whether participants sustained mTBI with and without a positive posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screen. SETTING: Participants recruited and tested at 7 Veterans Affairs (VA) sites and 1 military training facility as part of a national, longitudinal study of mental health, physical, and cognitive outcomes among veterans and service members. Participants: Total of 1540 former and current military personnel with a history of combat exposure. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of observational data, including confirmatory factor analysis. Main Measures: NSI and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). RESULTS: Most participants (81.5%) had a history of mTBI and almost half of these screened positive for PTSD (40.5%); only 23.9% of participants without a history of mTBI screened positive for PTSD. Participants with a history of mTBI reported higher elevations of NSI and PCL-5 symptoms compared with those without a history of mTBI. Confirmatory factor analyses of the NSI demonstrated good model fit using a 4-factor structure (somatosensory, affective, cognitive, and vestibular symptoms) among groups of participants both with and without a history of mTBI. CONCLUSION: Symptoms of mTBI and PTSD are strongly associated with each other among veterans and service members with a history of combat exposure. The 4-factor NSI structure is supported among participants with and without a history of mTBI. These findings suggest the potential benefit of a holistic approach to evaluation and treatment of veterans and service members with concurrent and elevated postconcussive and posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Clinical evaluation of avascular necrosis in patients with sickle cell disease: Children's Hospital Oakland Hip Evaluation Scale--a modification of the Harris Hip Score.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the validity and reliability of the Children's Hospital Oakland Hip Evaluation Scale (CHOHES), a modification of the Harris Hip Score, for the evaluation of avascular necrosis (AVN) in sickle cell disease (SCD). DESIGN: Nonrandomized test-retest. SETTING: Outpatient clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Forty patients with SCD and 3 healthy controls participated. Twenty-six SCD patients (15 males, 11 females; mean age, 25 y) had been diagnosed with AVN. This group was compared with 14 SCD patients without AVN and 3 healthy controls (8 males, 9 females; mean age, 16 y). INTERVENTION: On average, subjects were assessed by 2 physical therapists by using the CHOHES on 3 separate outpatient visits within a 2-week period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A mixed model with random effects was constructed to compare patient scores on the CHOHES with disease severity as estimated by Ficat staging on plain radiographs. Correlations between and within physical therapists using the CHOHES were calculated to assess intra- and interrater reliability. RESULTS: From the random effects model, the CHOHES mean score was 88 for Ficat stage 0, 75 for Ficat stage I or II, and 61 for Ficat stages III or IV (P < .05). Intrarater reliability estimates for the total CHOHES score were very good (r > or = .87) as were interrater reliability estimates (r > or = .90) between therapists who measured hips with a wide range of CHOHES scores. CONCLUSIONS: The CHOHES appears to be an easy-to-use, valid, and reliable assessment tool and should be considered for use in the routine clinical evaluation of SCD patients with AVN.