Citation

Pagulayan K, Temkin N, Machamer J, Dikmen S. J. Neurotrauma 2015; 33(14): 1390-1396.

Affiliation

University of Washington ; dikmen@u.washington.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/neu.2015.4071

PMID

26530335

Abstract

Alcohol misuse and traumatic brain injury (TBI) frequently co-occur. The negative consequences of this interaction are well documented, but the patterns of long-term post-injury alcohol consumption are less clear. This study examined patterns of alcohol use among 170 adults with a history of complicated mild to severe TBI. Participants were recruited from a Level 1 Trauma Center at the time of their injury, and completed evaluations at 1 month, 6 months, 12 months, and 3-5 years post-injury. Pre-injury alcohol use was also assessed at the time of the 1-month assessment. A modified Quantity-Frequency Index of alcohol consumption was then calculated for each time point. The results revealed high levels of pre-injury alcohol consumption, followed by a reduction in consumption at 1-month post-injury. A significant increase in consumption was noted by 6 months post-injury, followed by more gradual increases in alcohol consumption at 1 year. Post-injury alcohol consumption was comparable to the general public at 6 months, 12 months, and 3-5 years post-injury. These results suggest that the first six months post-injury may be the critical window of opportunity for alcohol intervention.

Language: en