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Case Study of Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Comorbid Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury

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Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

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Abstract

This case report reviews the successful implementation of prolonged exposure therapy with an active duty service member with combat-related PTSD and a co-occurring history of mild traumatic brain injury. Very few modifications were made to the treatment protocol to accommodate the patient’s postconcussive symptoms. Posttreatment assessments indicated the absence of a PTSD diagnosis at posttreatment through the 6-month follow-up and then the return of a PTSD diagnosis at the 1-year follow-up. This case report demonstrates the potential complexities of treating comorbid PTSD and traumatic brain injury.

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Abbreviations

BDI-II:

Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition

DRRI:

Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory

DSM-IV-TR:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision

MACE:

Military Acute Concussion Evaluation

mTBI:

Mild traumatic brain injury

PCL-S:

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Stressor Specific

PE:

Prolonged Exposure

PSS-I:

PTSD Symptom Scale-Interview

PTSD:

Posttraumatic stress disorder

TBI:

Traumatic brain injury

US:

United States/United States of America

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Rough Rider Village, 62nd & Santa Fe St., Building 3561, San Antonio, TX, 76544-5005, USA

    Brooke A. Fina & Alan L. Peterson

  2. Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 19104, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Tracey K. Lichner & Edna B. Foa

  3. South Texas Veterans Health Care System, University of Texas at San Antonio, 7550 IH 10 West, Suite 1325, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA

    Alan L. Peterson

Authors
  1. Brooke A. Fina
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  2. Tracey K. Lichner
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  3. Edna B. Foa
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  4. Alan L. Peterson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brooke A. Fina .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Buckinghamshire New University, Uxbridge, Middlesex, United Kingdom

    Colin R. Martin

  2. Kings College, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland (outside the USA)

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Fina, B.A., Lichner, T.K., Foa, E.B., Peterson, A.L. (2015). Case Study of Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Comorbid Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. In: Martin, C., Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_116-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_116-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-08613-2

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