Associations Between Traumatic Brain Injury History and Future Headache Severity in Veterans: A Longitudinal Study

Traumatic Brain Injury in US Veterans: Prevalence and Associations With Physical, Mental, and Cognitive Health

OBJECTIVE

To examine the prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the US veteran population, and physical, mental, and cognitive health conditions associated with TBI.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

A nationally representative sample of US military veterans surveyed in 2019-2020.

PARTICIPANTS

Veterans with probable TBI (n=943; M=58.8 years, SD=16.4; 75.9% non-Hispanic White) and without probable TBI (n=3,033; M=63.3 years, SD=15.3; 78.6% non-Hispanic White) were categorized based on a 2-item modified Veterans Health Administration TBI screen or self-reported health professional diagnoses of concussion/TBI.

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Self-reported health professional-diagnosed physical and cognitive health conditions, disability with basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs), positive screens for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder, or drug use disorder, and current suicidal ideation or prior suicide attempts.

RESULTS

Among the full sample, 24.5% (95% confidence interval: 22.7, 26.3) had probable TBI. In adjusted analyses, probable TBI was independently associated with greater odds of rheumatoid arthritis (odds ratio [OR]=2.06), chronic pain (OR=1.87), kidney disease (OR=1.81), pulmonary disease (OR=1.74), arthritis (OR=1.65), migraine (OR=1.59), sleep disorders (OR=1.57), and osteoporosis or osteopenia (OR=1.51). Veterans with probable TBI also had higher odds of mild cognitive impairment (OR=4.53) and disability with ADLs (OR=2.18) and instrumental ADLs (OR=1.98), although ADL disability was explained by other physical health conditions. Probable TBI was associated with higher odds of probable current anxiety disorder (OR=2.82), major depressive disorder (OR=2.17), suicidal ideation (OR=1.78), PTSD (OR=1.72), drug use disorder (OR=1.54), and alcohol use disorder (OR=1.47).

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly 1-in-4 US veterans screen positive for probable TBI, which was associated with several physical and mental health conditions that adversely affect health and functioning. Results underscore the importance of multidisciplinary interventions that concurrently target the unique physical, mental, cognitive, and functional health needs of this population.

Headaches in Traumatic Brain Injury: Improvement Over Time, Associations With Quality of Life, and Impact of Migraine-Type Headaches

OBJECTIVE

To describe headache characteristics over time in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

SETTING

Patients enrolled and followed at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center between 2011 and 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

There were 147 patients with TBI, with 74 mild TBI (mTBI), 49 moderate (modTBI), 24 severe (sTBI), and 20 individuals without brain injury (IWBIs).

DESIGN

Regular surveys of headache characteristics in patients with TBI were conducted. Patients were enrolled as early as 30 days post-injury and followed up to 5 years, for 419 total visits and 80 patients with multiple return visits.

MAIN MEASURES

Surveys of headache characteristics, including headache severity, were measured on a 0- to 10-point Likert scale and headache frequency quantified as headaches per month. Patients with migraine-type headaches ( n = 39) were identified by a clinician-administered tool. Functional outcomes were measured using the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E) and quality of life by the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36).

RESULTS

At their initial visit, patients with TBI had more severe and frequent headaches than IWBIs (median 5 vs 2.5, P < .001; median 2 vs 0.2, P < .001), as did patients with mTBI compared with modTBI/sTBI (all P ≤ .01). Migraines were associated with lower SWLS and SF-36 scores. Migraines and young age were associated with higher headache severity and frequency across time points. Longitudinally, time post-injury correlated with improvement in headache severity and frequency without differences by injury severity. However, time post-injury did not correlate with improvement in headache characteristics in a patient subgroup with moderate/severe headaches.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that patients with mild, moderate, or severe TBI see improvement in headaches over time. However, patients should be counseled that improvement is modest and seen more in patients with milder headache symptoms. Patients with migraine headaches in particular are at risk for worse headache characteristics with greater impact on quality of life.

Relationship Between Headache Characteristics and a Remote History of TBI in Veterans: A 10-Year Retrospective Chart Review

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The objective of this work was to examine the association between deployment-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity, frequency, and other injury characteristics with headache outcomes in veterans evaluated at a Veterans Administration (VA) polytrauma support clinic.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective chart review of 594 comprehensive TBI evaluations between 2011 and 2021. Diagnostic criteria were based on the Department of Defense/VA Consensus-Based Classification of Closed TBI. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% CIs were estimated for headache prevalence (logistic), headache severity (ordinal), and prevalence of migraine-like features (logistic) with multiple regression analysis. Regression models were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, time since injury, and mental health diagnoses.

RESULTS

TBI severity groups were classified as sub concussive exposure (n = 189) and mild (n = 377), moderate (n = 28), and severe TBI (n = 0). Increased headache severity was reported in veterans with mild TBI (AOR 1.72 [95% CI 1.15, 2.57]) and moderate TBI (AOR 3.89 [1.64, 9.15]) compared to those with subconcussive exposure. A history of multiple mild TBIs was associated with more severe headache (AOR 2.47 [1.34, 4.59]) and migraine-like features (AOR 5.95 [2.55, 13.77]). No differences were observed between blast and nonblast injuries; however, greater headache severity was reported in veterans with both primary and tertiary blast effects (AOR 2.56 [1.47, 4.49]). Alteration of consciousness (AOC) and posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) >30 minutes were associated with more severe headache (AOR 3.37 [1.26, 9.17] and 5.40 [2.21, 13.42], respectively). The length of time between the onset of last TBI and the TBI evaluation was associated with headache severity (AOR 1.09 [1.02, 1.17]) and prevalence of migraine-like features (AOR 1.27 [1.15, 1.40]). Last, helmet use was associated with less severe headache (AOR 0.42 [0.23, 0.75]) and lower odds of migraine-like features (AOR 0.45 [0.21, 0.98]).

DISCUSSION

Our data support the notion of a dose-response relationship between TBI severity and headache outcomes. A history of multiple mild TBIs and longer duration of AOC and PTA are unique risk factors for poor headache outcomes in veterans. Furthermore, this study sheds light on the poor headache outcomes associated with subconcussive exposure. Past TBI characteristics should be considered when developing headache management plans for veterans.

DNA Methylation Patterns of Chronic Explosive Breaching in U.S. Military Warfighters

Background: Injuries from exposure to explosions rose dramatically during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, which motivated investigation of blast-related neurotrauma. We have undertaken human studies involving military "breachers" -exposed to controlled, low-level blast during a 3-days explosive breaching course. Methods: We screened epigenetic profiles in peripheral blood samples from 59 subjects (in two separate U.S. Military training sessions) using Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChips. Participants had varying numbers of exposures to blast over their military careers (empirically defined as high ≥ 40, and conversely, low < 39 breaching exposures). Daily self-reported physiological symptoms were recorded. Tinnitus, memory problems, headaches, and sleep disturbances are most frequently reported. Results: We identified 14 significantly differentially methylated regions (DMRs) within genes associated with cumulative blast exposure in participants with high relative to low cumulative blast exposure. Notably, NTSR1 and SPON1 were significantly differentially methylated in high relative to low blast exposed groups, suggesting that sleep dysregulation may be altered in response to chronic cumulative blast exposure. In comparing lifetime blast exposure at baseline (prior to exposure in current training), and top associated symptoms, we identified significant DMRs associated with tinnitus, sleep difficulties, and headache. Notably, we identified KCNN3, SOD3, MUC4, GALR1, and WDR45B, which are implicated in auditory function, as differentially methylated associated with self-reported tinnitus. These findings suggest neurobiological mechanisms behind auditory injuries in our military warfighters and are particularly relevant given tinnitus is not only a primary disability among veterans, but has also been demonstrated in active duty medical records for populations exposed to blast in training. Additionally, we found that differentially methylated regions associated with the genes CCDC68 and COMT track with sleep difficulties, and those within FMOD and TNXB track with pain and headache. Conclusion: Sleep disturbances, as well as tinnitus and chronic pain, are widely reported in U.S. military service members and veterans. As we have previously demonstrated, DNA methylation encapsulates lifetime exposure to blast. The current data support previous findings and recapitulate transcriptional regulatory alterations in genes involved in sleep, auditory function, and pain. These data uncovered novel epigenetic and transcriptional regulatory mechanism underlying the etiological basis of these symptoms.

Psychometric Evaluation of Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep Quality after a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Longitudinal Study

Introduction. Over 1 million mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) cases are reported annually worldwide and may result in cognitive, physical, and emotional deterioration; depression; anxiety; and sleep problems. However, studies on long-term mTBI effects are limited. This study included 440 patients, and regular follow-ups of psychological assessments were performed for 2 years. Four questionnaires, including the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), Beck's anxiety inventory (BAI), and Beck's depression inventory (BDI), were used to evaluate sleep problems, daytime sleepiness, anxiety, and depression, respectively. Results show that BAI and BDI scores considerably improved at the 6th-week, 1st-year, and 2nd-year follow-ups compared to baseline, yet these remained significantly different. In addition, anxiety and depression were prominent symptoms in a select subgroup of patients with poor initial evaluations, which improved over the 2 years. However, the ESS and PSQI scores fluctuated only mildly over the same time span. In conclusion, the mTBI patients showed a gradual improvement of anxiety and depression over the 2 years following injury. While anxiety and depression levels for mTBI patients in general did not return to premorbid status, improvements were observed. Sleep disorders persisted and were consistent with initial levels of distress.