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Citation
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Merritt VC, Jurick SM, Crocker LD, Sullan MJ, Sakamoto MS, Davey DK, Hoffman SN, Keller AV, Jak AJ. Arch. Clin. Neuropsychol. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Affiliation
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Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. |
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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate relationships between multiple mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) and objective and subjective clinical outcomes in a sample of combat-exposed Veterans, adjusting for psychiatric distress and combat exposure.
METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, 73 combat-exposed Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans were divided into three groups based on mTBI history: 0 mTBIs (n = 31), 1-2 mTBIs (n = 21), and 3+ mTBIs (n = 21). Veterans with mTBI were assessed, on average, 7.78 years following their most recent mTBI. Participants underwent neuropsychological testing and completed self-report measures assessing neurobehavioral, sleep, and pain symptoms.
RESULTS: MANCOVAs adjusting for psychiatric distress and combat exposure showed no group differences on objective measures of attention/working memory, executive functioning, memory, and processing speed (all p's > .05; ηp2 = .00-.06). In contrast, there were significant group differences on neurobehavioral symptoms (p's = < .001-.036; ηp2 = .09-.43), sleep difficulties (p = .037; ηp2 = .09), and pain symptoms (p < .001; ηp2 = .21). Pairwise comparisons generally showed that the 3+ mTBI group self-reported the most severe symptoms, followed by comparable symptom reporting between the 0 and 1-2 mTBI groups.
CONCLUSIONS: History of multiple, remote mTBIs is associated with elevated subjective symptoms but not objective neuropsychological functioning in combat-exposed Veterans. These results advance understanding of the long-term consequences of repetitive mTBI in this population and suggest that Veterans with 3+ mTBIs may especially benefit from tailored treatments aimed at ameliorating specific neurobehavioral, sleep, and pain symptoms.
Published by Oxford University Press 2020.
Language: en |