Citation

Wilk JE, Thomas JL, McGurk DM, Riviere LA, Castro CA, Hoge CW. J. Head Trauma Rehabil. 2010; 25(1): 9-14.

Affiliation

Division of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Silver Spring, Maryland. US Army Medical Research Unit-Europe, Walter Reed Army Institute.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/HTR.0b013e3181bd090f

PMID

20051900

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether screening for a blast mechanism of concussion identifies individuals at higher risk of persistent postconcussive symptoms (PCS). SETTING: United States Army post. PARTICIPANTS: 3952 US Army infantry soldiers were administered anonymous surveys 3 to 6 months after returning from a yearlong deployment to Iraq. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported concussion (defined as an injury that resulted in being "dazed, confused, or 'seeing stars'"; "not remembering the injury"; or "losing consciousness [knocked out]): Patient Health Questionnaire 15-item scale for physical symptoms and PCS; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist; and Patient Health Questionnaire depression module. RESULTS: Of the 587 soldiers (14.9% of the total sample) who met criteria for concussion, 201 (34.2%) reported loss of consciousness, and 373 (63.5%) reported only an alteration of consciousness without loss of consciousness; 424 (72.2%) reported a blast mechanism, and 150 (25.6%) reported a nonblast mechanism. Among soldiers who lost consciousness, blast mechanism was significantly associated with headaches and tinnitus 3 to 6 months postdeployment compared with a nonblast mechanism. However, among the larger group of soldiers reporting concussions without loss of consciousness, blast was not associated with adverse health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Blast mechanism of concussion was inconsistently associated with PCS, depending on the definition of concussion utilized. A self-reported history of blast mechanism was not associated with persistent PCS for the majority of US soldiers with concussions.

Language: en