Citation

Parsey CM, Kang HJ, Eaton JC, McGrath ME, Barber J, Temkin NR, Mac Donald CL. Brain Inj. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/02699052.2023.2209740

PMID

37165638

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated frontal behavioural symptoms, via the FrSBe self-report, in military personnel with and without a history of blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (mild TBI).

METHODS: Prospective observational cohort study of combat-deployed service members leveraging 1-year and 5-year demographic and follow up clinical outcome data.

RESULTS: The blast mild TBI group (n = 164) showed greater frontal behavioural symptoms, including clinically elevated apathy, disinhibition, and executive dysfunction, during a 5-year follow-up, compared to a group of combat-deployed controls (n = 107) without mild TBI history or history of blast exposure. We also explored changes inbehaviourall symptoms over a 4-year span, which showed clinically significant increases in disinhibition in the blast mild TBI group, whereas the control group did not show significant increases in symptoms over time.

CONCLUSION: Our findings add to the growing evidence that a proportion of individuals who sustain mild TBI experience persistent behavioural symptoms. We also offer a demonstration of a novel use of the FrSBe as a tool for longitudinal symptom monitoring in a military mild TBI population.

Language: en

Keywords

Mild traumatic brain injury; executive function; frontal behavioural symptoms; long term outcomes; military service members