LIMBIC CENC LOGO

Long-Term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium

 Search LIMBIC CENC WEBSITE CONTENT Login If you do not have a LIMBIC-CENC website account please contact cencdbc@vcu.edu

Phenotyping Depression After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Evaluating the Impact of Multiple Injury, Gender, and Injury Context

Kennedy E, Ozmen M, Bouldin ED, Panahi S, Mobasher H, Troyanskaya M, Martindale SL, Merritt VC, O’Neil M, Sponheim SR, Remigio-Baker RA, Presson A, Swan AA, Werner JK, Greene TH, Wilde EA, Tate DF, Walker WC, Pugh MJ. (2024). Phenotyping Depression After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Evaluating the Impact of Multiple Injury, Gender, and Injury Context. Journal of neurotrauma, 41(7-8), 924–933. https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2023.0381. PMID: 38117134.

Main Question

In deployed Service Members and Veterans (SMVs), does number of injuries, gender, and/or injury setting increase the risk of chronic depressive symptoms after mild TBI?

Study Findings

Veterans with no history of mTBI were the reference group. Depression rates were higher in SMVs with one or more mTBIs. Depression severity was greater in SMVs with a history of two or more mild TBIs compared to those with one or no TBI. Depression severity was also greater in SMVs with combat deployment-related injuries compared with those who had injuries occurring in noncombat and civilian settings. Both men and women SMVs with combat-related mild TBI had increased depressive severity.

Practical Uses

Mild TBI is associated with greater risk for depression. Multiple mTBIs and combat-related injuries are associated with greater depression severity. Both men and women have increased depression severity from combat-related mTBI.

Clinicians should follow DOD/VA practice guidelines for mTBI and depression. Multiple mTBIs and combat-related injuries likely increase depression severity and may require combined medication and talk therapy.

For more information on assessing and managing depression

In an effort to provide the latest findings to our consumers as quickly as possible, some of these studies, while fully peer reviewed, have not been presented or published either electronically or in print. Findings are presented for informational purposes only and should not be cited or referenced until they are formally published or presented.

Virginia Commonwealth University is a nationally renowned public research institution dedicated to the success and well-being of all members of its community. VCU student, faculty and staff groups and associations are open without regard to any characteristic or identity protected by law.


The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, 839 Chandler Street, Fort Detrick MD 21702-5014 is the awarding and administering acquisition office. This work was supported by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs endorsed by the Department of Defense, through the Psychological Health/Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program Long-Term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium (LIMBIC) Award/W81XWH-18-PH/TBIRP-LIMBIC under Awards No. W81XWH1920067 and W81XWH-13-2-0095, and by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Awards No. I01 CX002097, I01 CX002096, I01 HX003155, I01 RX003444, I01 RX003443, I01 RX003442, I01 CX001135, I01 CX001246, I01 RX001774, I01 RX 001135, I01 RX 002076, I01 RX 001880, I01 RX 002172, I01 RX 002173, I01 RX 002171, I01 RX 002174, and I01 RX 002170. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Defense. / Created by VCU University Relations

Skip to content