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

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Mild traumatic brain injury, PTSD symptom severity, and behavioral dyscontrol: a LIMBIC-CENC study

Stromberg KM, Martindale SL, Walker WC, Ou Z, Pogoda, TK, Miles SR, Dismuke-Greer CE, Carlson KF, Rowland JA, O’Neil ME, Pugh MJ. (2024). Mild traumatic brain injury, PTSD symptom severity, and behavioral dyscontrol: a LIMBIC-CENC study. Frontiers in neurology, 14, 1286961. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2023.1286961. PMID: 38274880; PMCID: PMC10808394.

Main Question

Among Service Members and Veterans (SMVs), what are the associations between PTSD symptom severity, deployment-related history of mTBI, and behavioral dyscontrol?

Study Findings

Deployment-related mTBI impacted behavioral dyscontrol for individuals with lower PTSD symptom severity (PCL scores <23). Higher social support and self-efficacy scores were associated with lower dyscontrol.

Practical Uses

Deployment-related mTBI may increase the risk of behavioral dyscontrol, particularly in those without PTSD. It is unclear whether higher levels of social support and self-efficacy are protective factors for dyscontrol or whether high behavioral dyscontrol leads to lower social support and self-efficacy.

Clinicians should follow mTBI practice guidelines when managing behavioral dyscontrol including holistic assessment and treatment planning.

For more information on assessing and managing mild TBI

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.

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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

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