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Neuropsychological Sequelae of PTSD and TBI Following War Deployment among OEF/OIF Veterans

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Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are highly prevalent among Veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. These conditions are associated with common and unique neuropsychological and neuroanatomical changes. This review synthesizes neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies for both of these disorders and studies examining their co-occurrence. Recommendations for future research, including use of combined neuropsychological and advanced neuroimaging techniques to study these disorders alone and in concert, are presented. It is clear from the dearth of literature that addiitonal studies are required to examine and understand the impact of specific factors on neurocognitive outcome. Of particular relevance are temporal relationships between PTSD and mTBI, risk and resilience factors associated with both disorders and their co-occurrence, and mTBI-specific factors such as time since injury and severity of injury, utilizing comprehensive, yet targeted cognitive tasks.

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Notes

  1. Hemosiderin deposits are iron deposits thought to be left behind after a bleed in the brain. Because this iron is magnetic, it can be detected via MRI. Suceptibility Weighted Imaging (SWI) or other field-dependent relaxivity imaging also potentially could be used to detect microbleeds (TBIlaw.com).

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, a Merit Award (I01RX000304) to Sandra B. Morissette, Ph.D. from the Rehabilitation Research and Development Service of the VA Office of Research and Development entitled, “Functional Outcomes in OEF/OIF Veterans with PTSD and Alcohol Misuse,” a DVA VISN 17 New Investigator Award to Nathan A. Kimbrel, Ph.D. entitled, “Genetic and Environmental Effects on PTSD, Depression, and Alcohol Misuse,” and a DVA VISN 17 New Investigator Award to Eric C. Meyer, Ph.D. entitled, “Experiential Avoidance, Neurocognition, and Functional Outcomes in PTSD.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA

    Sara Dolan & Sarah Martindale

  2. U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX, USA

    Sara Dolan, Jennifer Robinson, Nathan A. Kimbrel, Eric C. Meyer, Marc I. Kruse, Sandra B. Morissette, Keith A. Young & Suzy Bird Gulliver

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Temple, TX, USA

    Jennifer Robinson, Nathan A. Kimbrel, Eric C. Meyer, Marc I. Kruse, Sandra B. Morissette, Keith A. Young & Suzy Bird Gulliver

  4. Neuroscience Institute, Scott & White Healthcare, Temple, TX, USA

    Jennifer Robinson

  5. Austin Fire Department & City of Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services Department, Austin, TX, USA

    Marc I. Kruse

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  1. Sara Dolan
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  2. Sarah Martindale
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Correspondence to Sara Dolan.

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Dolan, S., Martindale, S., Robinson, J. et al. Neuropsychological Sequelae of PTSD and TBI Following War Deployment among OEF/OIF Veterans. Neuropsychol Rev 22, 21–34 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-012-9190-5

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