scholarly journals Prevalence of Comorbidities in Active and Reserve Service Members Pre and Post Traumatic Brain Injury, 2017-2019

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tajrina Hai ◽  
Yll Agimi ◽  
Katharine Stout
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Emotional Disorders ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Data Repository ◽  
Clinical Practices ◽  
Military Health ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Military ◽  
The U.S

ABSTRACT Objective To understand the prevalence of comorbidities associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients among active and reserve service members in the U.S. Military. Methods Active and reserve SMs diagnosed with an incident TBI from January 2017 to October 2019 were selected. Nineteen comorbidities associated with TBI as identified in the literature and by clinical subject matter experts were described in this article. Each patient’s medical encounters were evaluated from 6 months before to 2 years following the initial TBI diagnoses date in the Military Data Repository, if data were available. Time-to-event analyses were conducted to assess the cumulative prevalence over time of each comorbidity to the incident TBI diagnosis. Results We identified 47,299 TBI patients, of which most were mild (88.8%), followed by moderate (10.5%), severe (0.5%), and of penetrating (0.2%) TBI severity. Two years from the initial TBI diagnoses, the top five comorbidities within our cohort were cognitive disorders (51.9%), sleep disorders (45.0%), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; 36.0%), emotional disorders (22.7%), and anxiety disorders (22.6%) across severity groups. Cognitive, sleep, PTSD, and emotional disorders were the top comorbidities seen within each TBI severity group. Comorbidities increased pre-TBI to post-TBI; the more severe the TBI, the greater the prevalence of associated comorbidities. Conclusion A large proportion of our TBI patients are afflicted with comorbidities, particularly post-TBI, indicating many have a complex profile. The military health system should continue tracking comorbidities associated with TBI within the U.S. Military and devise clinical practices that acknowledge the complexity of the TBI patient.

scholarly journals Correlates of Depression in U.S. Military Service Members With a History of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

2019 ◽  
Vol 184 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 148-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan E Kennedy ◽  
Lisa H Lu ◽  
Matthew W Reid ◽  
Felix O Leal ◽  
Douglas B Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Data Repository ◽  
Military Health ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
Combat Deployments

AbstractObjectivesPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are identified as signature injuries of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Statistics have confirmed a high incidence of PTSD among military personnel with mild TBI (mTBI) who served in these conflicts. Although receiving less attention, individuals with a history of mTBI are also at increased risk for depressive disorders. This study examines the incidence and correlates of depression in service members with a history of mTBI received an average of 4–1/2 years prior to evaluation.MethodsRetrospective analysis of 184 service members with a history of mTBI extracted from a data repository maintained at a military medical center.ResultsOne-third of the sample (34.2%) was clinically diagnosed with a depressive disorder in the month preceding evaluation. Of those with depression, 81% (51 of 63) were also diagnosed with PTSD. Proportionately more women than men had depression. Depression was more common among those who were undergoing a Military Evaluation Board and those who served in more than three combat deployments.ConclusionsResults confirm chronically elevated the rates of depressive disorders and PTSD comorbidity among service members with a history of mTBI. Depression screening and treatment within the Military Health System should remain a priority for service members reporting a remote history of mTBI. Individuals with chronic PTSD, women, service members undergoing MEB and those who served in greater than three combat deployments are at particular risk.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Postconcussive Symptom Endorsement: A Parallel Comparison Between Two Nonclinical Cohorts

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Elisabeth Cornwell ◽  
Jorge I Arango ◽  
C B Eagye ◽  
Candace Hill-Pearson ◽  
Karen Schwab ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Military Health ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Military ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Introduction The prevalence of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is commonly estimated based on indirect metrics such as emergency department visits and self-reporting tools. The study of postconcussive symptoms faces similar challenges because of their unspecific character and indistinct causality. In this article, we compare two nonclinical, epidemiological studies that addressed these two elements and were performed within a relatively narrow period in the state of Colorado. Materials and Methods De-identified datasets were obtained from a random digit-dialed survey study conducted by the Craig Hospital and a study surveying soldiers returning from deployment by Defense and Veteran Traumatic Brain Injury Center. Information pertinent to participants’ demographics, a history of mTBI, and symptom endorsement was extracted and homogenized in order to establish a parallel comparison between the populations of the two studies. Results From the 1,558 (Warrior Strong, 679; Craig Hospital, 879) records selected for analysis, 43% reported a history of at least one mTBI. The prevalence was significantly higher among individuals from the Defense and Veteran Traumatic Brain Injury Center study independent of gender or race. Repetitive injuries were reported by 15% of the total combined cohort and were more prevalent among males. Symptom endorsement was significantly higher in individuals with a positive history of mTBI, but over 80% of those with a negative history of mTBI endorsed at least one of the symptoms interrogated. Significant differences were observed between the military and the civilian populations in terms of the types and frequencies of the symptoms endorsed. Conclusions The prevalence of mTBI and associated symptoms identified in the two study populations is higher than that of previously reported. This suggests that not all individuals sustaining concussion seek medical care and highlights the limitations of using clinical reports to assess such estimates. The lack of appropriate mechanisms to determine symptom presence and causality remains a challenge. However, the differences observed in symptom reporting between cohorts raise questions about the nature of the symptoms, the impact on the quality of life for different individuals, and the effects on military health and force readiness.

scholarly journals Post-mTBI Pain Interference in a U.S. Military Population: A Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilal R Khokhar ◽  
Megan A Lindberg ◽  
William C Walker
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Pain Interference ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Chronic Effects ◽  
Post Traumatic

ABSTRACT Introduction Chronic pain is a significant problem for service members and veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). While the root cause of pain is not clearly understood, comorbidities may contribute to how their pain disrupts their functional status, a construct termed “pain interference.” The purpose of this study is to examine the associations between mTBI, other comorbidities, and pain interference. Materials and Methods The sample comprised participants with mTBI(s) from The Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium multicenter observational study. Potential concussive events were identified using a modified Ohio State University traumatic brain injury (TBI) Identification interview and then further with a structured interview. Pain interference was measured with the TBI quality-of-life pain interference score, which was categorized into insignificant, moderate, and high pain interference. Comorbidities of interest included anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia, and arthritis. Multivariable relationships were analyzed using logistic regression. Results The analysis sample included 346 participants with mTBI(s). In adjusted analysis, those with high pain interference were more likely to have history of ≥ 3 TBIs (odds ratio (OR) 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4, 6.9) and to have clinical levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (OR 5.4, 95% CI 1.9, 15.7), depression (OR 2.5, 95% CI, 1.0, 6.1), anxiety (OR 4.9, 95% CI, 2.0, 11.7), and sleep disturbances (OR 6.1, 95% CI 2.0, 19.0) versus those with insignificant pain interference. Conclusion These results identify clinical features of veterans and service members with mTBI(s) who are at highest risk for pain-related disability. These findings also demonstrate the need to consider mental health and sleep problems in their pain evaluation and treatment approach.

scholarly journals Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Diagnosis of Obesity in the Military Health System Active Duty Population

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daren Yang ◽  
Alexis Beauvais ◽  
Whitney L Forbes ◽  
Darrick Beckman ◽  
Jason Estes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Health System ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Active Duty ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Data Repository ◽  
Military Health System ◽  
Military Health ◽  
The Military

ABSTRACT Objective The overall rate of obesity is rising in the USA; this is also reflected in the military population. It is important that providers appropriately diagnose obesity and discuss treatment options with their patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate diagnosis of obesity compared to documented body mass index (BMI) in the military health system. Methods Institutional review board approval was obtained by the 59th Medical Wing (Lackland Air Force Base, Texas) as an exempt study. This study included active duty military service members aged 18-65 years who sought outpatient care at a military treatment facility from September 2013 to August 2018 with a weight within the range of 31.8-226.8 kg and height between 121.9 and 215.9 cm. Data were collected from the Clinical Data Repository vitals and M2 encounter data to determine the percentage of each sub-population with a diagnosis of obesity according to BMI (≥30 kg/m2) and International Classification of Diseases diagnosis codes. Results Using BMI, 19.2% of female and 26.8% of male service members can be diagnosed with obesity; however, only 42.2% and 35.1%, respectively, with a BMI ≥30 was diagnosed as such. This discrepancy was consistent among all service branches and BMI ranges. Conclusion This study demonstrates that obesity is underdiagnosed compared to BMI. This may result in insufficient resources being provided to patients to reduce weight. Further investigation is warranted to identify causes of underdiagnosis and potential barriers to diagnosis.

scholarly journals TBI-CareQOL military health care frustration in caregivers of service members/veterans with traumatic brain injury.

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 360-376
Author(s):  
Noelle E. Carlozzi ◽  
Rael T. Lange ◽  
Louis M. French ◽  
Michael A. Kallen ◽  
Nicholas R. Boileau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Military Health ◽  
Military Health Care

scholarly journals Traumatic Brain Injury, Working Memory, and Violent Crime in a Sample of U.S. Service Members Involved in the Military Justice System

2020 ◽  
Vol 185 (5-6) ◽  
pp. e597-e600
Author(s):  
Karl V Umbrasas
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Forensic Evaluation ◽  
Military Justice ◽  
Criminal Offenses ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Military

Abstract Introduction This study examined working memory impairment following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) among active duty service members charged with criminal offenses. The prevalence of mTBI among service members involved in the military justice system is unknown. Impairments associated with mTBI may affect cognitive processes related to psycholegal capacities, and history of mTBI may have a persuasive appeal when explaining questions of culpability. The degree to which mTBI affects psycholegal abilities through cognitive impairment, however, is unknown. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective study of U.S. service members who presented for forensic evaluation (n = 80). Completed forensic evaluations (eg, criminal responsibility, competence to stand trial, risk assessment) were the source of data. Working Memory Index (WMI) score of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition was used as an index of sequelae after brain injury. Results A history of mTBI was present in 20% of the sample. The mean time from mTBI diagnosis to presentation for forensic evaluation was 3.96 years. The mTBI-positive group had a mean WMI = 98 and the mTBI-negative group had a mean WMI = 103. The difference in WMI scores between groups was not statistically significant. Conclusions This study suggests that a history of mTBI is common among service members charged with criminal offenses. The findings that working memory scores were in the average range among service members with mTBI history may suggest that history of mTBI does not impair psycholegal relevant cognition. More research is needed to clarify how history of mTBI affects service member psycholegal capacities.

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