Psychische Störungen nach leichtem Schädel-Hirn-Trauma

Intimate partner violence perpetration among veterans: associations with neuropsychiatric symptoms and limbic microstructure

Background

Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration is highly prevalent among veterans. Suggested risk factors of IPV perpetration include combat exposure, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, alcohol use, and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). While the underlying brain pathophysiological characteristics associated with IPV perpetration remain largely unknown, previous studies have linked aggression and violence to alterations of the limbic system. Here, we investigate whether IPV perpetration is associated with limbic microstructural abnormalities in military veterans. Further, we test the effect of potential risk factors (i.e., PTSD, depression, substance use disorder, mTBI, and war zone-related stress) on the prevalence of IPV perpetration.

Methods

Structural and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data were acquired from 49 male veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom; OEF/OIF) of the Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS) study. IPV perpetration was assessed using the psychological aggression and physical assault sub-scales of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2). Odds ratios were calculated to assess the likelihood of IPV perpetration in veterans with either of the following diagnoses: PTSD, depression, substance use disorder, or mTBI. Fractional anisotropy tissue (FA) measures were calculated for limbic gray matter structures (amygdala-hippocampus complex, cingulate, parahippocampal gyrus, entorhinal cortex). Partial correlations were calculated between IPV perpetration, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and FA.

Results

Veterans with a diagnosis of PTSD, depression, substance use disorder, or mTBI had higher odds of perpetrating IPV. Greater war zone-related stress, and symptom severity of PTSD, depression, and mTBI were significantly associated with IPV perpetration. CTS2 (psychological aggression), a measure of IPV perpetration, was associated with higher FA in the right amygdala-hippocampus complex (r = 0.400, p = 0.005).

Conclusion

Veterans with psychiatric disorders and/or mTBI exhibit higher odds of engaging in IPV perpetration. Further, the more severe the symptoms of PTSD, depression, or TBI, and the greater the war zone-related stress, the greater the frequency of IPV perpetration. Moreover, we report a significant association between psychological aggression against an intimate partner and microstructural alterations in the right amygdala-hippocampus complex. These findings suggest the possibility of a structural brain correlate underlying IPV perpetration that requires further research.

Sleep Quality Disturbances Are Associated with White Matter Alterations in Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Sleep disturbances are strongly associated with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD and mTBI have been linked to alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure, but whether poor sleep quality has a compounding effect on WM remains largely unknown. We evaluated sleep and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data from 180 male post-9/11 veterans diagnosed with (1) PTSD (n = 38), (2) mTBI (n = 25), (3) comorbid PTSD+mTBI (n = 94), and (4) a control group with neither PTSD nor mTBI (n = 23). We compared sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI) between groups using ANCOVAs and calculated regression and mediation models to assess associations between PTSD, mTBI, sleep quality, and WM. Veterans with PTSD and comorbid PTSD+mTBI reported poorer sleep quality than those with mTBI or no history of PTSD or mTBI (p = 0.012 to <0.001). Poor sleep quality was associated with abnormal WM microstructure in veterans with comorbid PTSD+mTBI (p < 0.001). Most importantly, poor sleep quality fully mediated the association between greater PTSD symptom severity and impaired WM microstructure (p < 0.001). Our findings highlight the significant impact of sleep disturbances on brain health in veterans with PTSD+mTBI, calling for sleep-targeted interventions.

[Mental disorders after acquired CNS damage]

Mental disorders are a frequent consequence of acquired central nervous damage. If not recognized and treated early, they have a negative impact on the course of neurological rehabilitation. This article deals with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders after acquired damage to the central nervous system.

[Traumatic brain injury: psychological sequelae are often underestimated]

Cognitive and psychoemotional impairment after traumatic brain injury is often underrated, especially after mild injury. Even subtle problems can considerably interfere with routine functioning. They require precise psychotherapeutic diagnostics and adequate neuropsychological treatment. Early detection and documentation of the initial symptoms and initiation of further steps are mandatory, also and particularly during first-line surgical management.

[From boxing to geriatric psychiatry : Facets from the work of East German social psychiatrist Bernhard Schwarz (1918-1991)]

For the first time, this study presents publications representative for the work of the neurologist and sports physician Bernhard Schwarz, whose career spans from the 1950s to the 1970s. His work is characterized by exceptional originality. Schwarz acted as the physician of the GDR national boxing team and conducted a systematic long-term study of 800 boxers. He found increased occurrences of depression, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and suggested that these were linked to recurring craniocerebral injury. He was concerned about avoiding such long-term health effects in boxers and suggested a range of preventive measures that were later reflected in the guidelines of international boxing associations. Schwarz was distinguished by his drive to directly implement social psychiatric approaches in the hospital. As head of the psychiatric clinic at Leipzig University, he initiated a club for geriatric patients to help older patients with the problematic transition from hospitalization to outpatient assistance at home. Influenced by holistic anthropological thinking, he regarded geriatric mental illness as a consequence of social isolation. In addition, Schwarz was involved in a model project that assessed the work resilience of patients in the hospital with the goal of optimizing psychiatric rehabilitation. Both projects were successes, according to his published accounts.

[Mild head injury]

INTRODUCTION

Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a major health concern, because a sizeable number of patients with mild TBI will develop potentially life-threatening complications. The target of this study was to describe a large series of adult patients suffering from mild TBI, treated at University Hospital of Getafe, between 2010 and 2015 (n = 2480). We examined the patients' epidemiological and baseline clinical profile, diagnosis, treatment and ultimate outcomes, to identify major prognostic factors that influence the final result.

METHODS

We retrospectively extracted patient data from medical records and performed both bivariate and multivariate statistics.

RESULTS

In our sample, mild TBI was more common in men, and the most common causative mechanism was a traffic accident. We proposed a model for classifying patients according to risk, dividing them into low, intermediate and high risk, based upon their baseline clinical picture. This classification scheme correlated well with final outcomes. We investigated indications for skull radiography and computed tomography (CT), as well as for hospital admission for clinical observation.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, the presence of a neurological focus on clinical examination, the existence of a fracture on plain radiographs, advanced age and the presence of a coagulation disorder were associated with the increased likelihood of intracranial complications and a poor prognosis. The Glasgow Coma Scale was deficient predicting patient outcomes, because it failed to account for concussion-related symptoms like amnesia and loss of consciousness, both very common in patients with mild TBI.