Anxiety Disorders in Adults With Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury: Evidence of Difficulties More Than 10 Years Postinjury

Incidence of anxiety after traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as acquired cerebral damage caused by an external mechanical impact, which has the potential to lead to transient or enduring debilitation. TBI is associated with many forms of long-lasting psychiatric conditions, including anxiety disorders. As anxiety is highly debilitating by causing impaired social functioning and decreased quality of life for the afflicted, especially in the form of anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, certain efforts have been made to explore the factors associated with it, and one such factor is TBI.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science on January 26th, 2024 for observational case-control or cohort or cross-sectional studies assessing the incidence of anxiety symptoms or disorders in patients with TBI compared to healthy individuals or the same individuals if pre-TBI information regarding anxiety was available. We calculated the pooled incidence and relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95CI) using the inverse variance method. Publication bias was assessed using Eggers's regression test. Quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Sub-group analyses were conducted for the type of anxiety (anxiety disorder vs anxiety symptoms), TBI severity, and type of anxiety disorders.

RESULTS

The incidence rate of anxiety after traumatic brain injury was 17.45% (95CI: 12.59%, 22.31%) in a total of 705,024 individuals. Moreover, TBI patients were found to be 1.9 times as likely to have anxiety compared to their non-TBI counterparts [Random effects model RR = 1.90 [1.62; 2.23], p-value < 0.0001] using a population of 569,875 TBI cases and 1,640,312 non-TBI controls. Sub-group analysis revealed TBI severity was not associated with anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder was the most common type of anxiety disorder reported post-TBI.

CONCLUSION

Patients who have experienced a TBI exhibit a significantly greater incidence of anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders in the aftermath when compared to healthy individuals.

Dysregulation of the dopaminergic system secondary to traumatic brain injury: implications for mood and anxiety disorders

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a public health issue with a high mortality rate and severe neurological and psychiatric consequences. Mood and anxiety disorders are some of the most frequently reported. Primary and secondary damage can cause a loss of neurons and glial cells, leading to dysfunction of neuronal circuits, which can induce imbalances in many neurotransmitter systems. Monoaminergic systems, especially the dopaminergic system, are some of the most involved in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms after TBI. In this work, we summarize the studies carried out in patients who have suffered TBI and describe alterations in the dopaminergic system, highlighting (1) dysfunction of the dopaminergic neuronal circuits caused by TBI, where modifications are shown in the dopamine transporter (DAT) and alterations in the expression of dopamine receptor 2 (D2R) in brain areas with dopaminergic innervation, thus establishing a hypodopaminergic state and (2) variations in the concentration of dopamine and its metabolites in biological fluids of post-TBI patients, such as elevated dopamine (DA) and alterations in homovanillic acid (HVA). On the other hand, we show a large number of reports of alterations in the dopaminergic system after a TBI in animal models, in which modifications in the levels of DA, DAT, and HVA have been reported, as well as alterations in the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). We also describe the biological pathways, neuronal circuits, and molecular mechanisms potentially involved in mood and anxiety disorders that occur after TBI and are associated with alterations of the dopaminergic system in clinical studies and animal models. We describe the changes that occur in the clinical picture of post-TBI patients, such as alterations in mood and anxiety associated with DAT activity in the striatum, the relationship between post-TBI major depressive disorders (MDD) with lower availability of the DA receptors D2R and D3R in the caudate and thalamus, as well as a decrease in the volume of the substantia nigra (SN) associated with anxiety symptoms. With these findings, we discuss the possible relationship between the disorders caused by alterations in the dopaminergic system in patients with TBI.

Exploring emotional distress symptom clusters in young adults with childhood traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND

Depression, anxiety, and stress are persistent and co-occurring symptoms in survivors of childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI), and often impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This paper explored emotional distress symptom clusters and associated factors in young adults with childhood TBI.

METHODS

We included 54 young adults who sustained mild (n = 14), moderate (n = 27), and severe (n = 13) childhood TBI, at 20 years post-injury. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale was administered. Cluster group membership was identified using two-step clustering and hierarchical clustering methods, and associated factors were assessed with multiple regression models.

RESULTS

Two symptom cluster groups were identified, including a No Distress (n = 66%) and an Elevated Distress (n = 33%) group, with the latter showing significantly higher symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (all p < .001). Elevated Distress group membership was linked to tobacco use and poor sleep quality, while poor HRQoL was associated with younger age at injury and Elevated Distress group membership.

CONCLUSIONS

Using cluster methodology, we showed that one-third of young adults with childhood TBI had elevated emotional distress symptoms. This underscores the complex emotional profile of this subgroup and the need for assessment, analysis, and treatment methods that target a range of symptoms rather than relying on single-diagnostic protocols.

ABBREVIATIONS

ANOVA: Analysis of Variance; CT: Computed Tomography; DASS: Depression Anxiety Stress Scale; GCS: Glasgow Coma Scale; HREC: Human Research Ethics Committee; HRQoL: Health-Related Quality of Life; IBM: International Business Machines Corporation; MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging; PTA: Post-Traumatic Amnesia; QoL: Quality of Life; QOLIBRI: Quality of Life after Brain Injury Scale; REDCap: Research Electronic Data Capture; SES: Socioeconomic Status; SPSS: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences; TBI: Traumatic Brain Injury.

Sex and Age-at-Injury as Determinants of Social Behavior Outcomes After TBI

While our understanding of long-term disability after traumatic brain injury (TBI) has habitually focused on cognitive and sensorimotor functioning, it is increasingly appreciated that changes in social function for survivors of a brain injury are common and have a profound impact on one's quality of life. In this chapter, we highlight the consequences of TBI on social behavior, taking into account evidence from studies of patient populations as well as from preclinical animal models. After first considering the protracted nature of the development of social behavior across the lifespan, including the neurobiological networks that underlie social functioning, we discuss how TBI results in social behavior impairments and how these manifest. We focus particularly on how age-at-injury influences TBI-induced social impairments, with most of the evidence suggesting age-dependent vulnerability after injury at a younger age. In addition, we explore how biological sex is a key determinant of social behavior impairments after TBI, while gender in humans may also influence the nature and extent of social outcomes. Finally, we identify key knowledge gaps and emphasize the need for further research in the field.

The Association of Adverse Childhood Experiences with Long-term Mood and Anxiety Disorders After Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury: A Population-based Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association between ACEs and the development of psychiatric disorders by age 25 among individuals who sustained TBI prior to age 10.

DESIGN

Population-based case-control study.

SETTING

Olmsted County, Minnesota.

PARTICIPANTS

566 individuals (N=566) who sustained a TBI prior to age 10 were identified and classified using a validated TBI classification system. Among these individuals, cases with a subsequent mood or anxiety disorder prior to age 25 were identified through clinical diagnostic codes and manual record review. For each case, a 1:1 matched control was randomly selected from individuals with a pediatric TBI who did not have a mood/anxiety disorder prior to the matched case's mood/anxiety disorder.

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Development of a mood/anxiety disorder.

RESULTS

Among the 114 matched pairs of individuals with a TBI prior to age 10, a subsequent mood/anxiety diagnosis was significantly associated with a history of 10 of 14 ACE categories and with having an ACE score ≥1 (odds ratio 5.17; 95% confidence interval 2.78-9.59).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first population-based study to the authors' knowledge showing that among children who sustained a TBI prior to age 10, those who experienced ACEs are at increased risk of developing a mood or anxiety disorder.

Long-Term Risk for Mood and Anxiety Disorders After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: A Population-Based, Birth Cohort Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether exposure to traumatic brain injury (TBI) before 10 years of age is associated with development of a mood or anxiety disorder by 25 years of age, and whether sex or injury severity influences this risk.

SETTING

Olmsted County, Minnesota.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 5518 persons born from January 1, 1976, through December 31, 1982.

DESIGN

Population-based, birth cohort study. Children sustaining TBI before 10 years of age (index date) were confirmed by manual record review and classified by injury severity using the Mayo Classification System. Each TBI case was age- and sex-matched to 2 referents from the same birth cohort without a history of TBI at the index date. Cox proportional hazards models were fit to compare the risk of a subsequent clinically diagnosed mood or anxiety disorder by 25 years of age between TBI cases and referents. Separate analysis was performed stratified by sex and injury severity.

MAIN MEASURES

Incidence of mood and anxiety disorders determined through clinical diagnostic codes and manual record review.

RESULTS

The study included 562 children (238 females [42.3%] and 324 males [57.7%]) with TBI before 10 years of age (mean [SD] age at TBI: 4.7 [2.8] years). At least 1 mood or anxiety disorder was diagnosed for 115 persons with TBI and 215 referents. No statistically significant association existed between childhood TBI status and anxiety disorder (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.01 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.71-1.43]; P = .97) or mood disorder (aHR, 1.16 [95% CI, 0.92-1.47]; P = .21). However, females who sustained TBI had a significantly increased risk of a subsequently diagnosed mood disorder compared with age-matched female referents (aHR, 1.40 [95% CI, 1.04-1.89]; P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that isolated TBI before 10 years of age is not significantly associated with an increased risk of anxiety or mood disorder by 25 years of age, though females may be at an increased risk.

Effects of institutional policies on employees with nonobvious disabilities

Background

While legislation protects persons with disabilities against discrimination, decisions taken in line with institutional policies may still have a negative impact on the lived experience of those individuals.

Objectives

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of institutional policies, to describe the unintended psychosocial impact of policies and to identify factors that moderate the impact of the policies.

Method

The study adopted an autoethnographic approach involving recollecting life experiences, reading archival and policy documents, reflecting on experiences, articulating lived experiences, deep thought, reviewing and repetition. Activities were carried out as and when appropriate, not necessarily sequentially. The aim was to produce a coherent narrative with credibility, authenticity and integrity.

Results

The results indicate that decisions based on interpretation of policies did not necessarily result in persons with disabilities being fully included in normal academic activities. A disablist institutional culture substantially moderates the intended consequences of institutional policies on the experiences of persons living with disabilities, particularly those that are nonobvious.

Conclusions

Consideration of persons of all abilities should be no different from recognising the diverse needs of persons of different genders, ages, educational backgrounds, financial means, languages and other demographics. A culture of disability prejudice, even among well-meaning individuals, prevents a progressive policy framework from ensuring inclusivity for persons with disabilities.

Contribution

The study demonstrates that a supportive institutional culture is necessary to give effect to disability policies and legislation and to optimise the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workplace.

Association between mild traumatic brain injury, brain structure, and mental health outcomes in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

BACKGROUND

Children that experience a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are at an increased risk of neural alterations that can deteriorate mental health. We test the hypothesis that mTBI is associated with psychopathology and that structural brain metrics (e.g., volume, area) meaningfully mediate the relation in an adolescent population.

METHODS

We analyzed behavioral and brain MRI data from 11,876 children who participated in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Mixed-effects models were used to examine the longitudinal association between mTBI and mental health outcomes. Bayesian methods were used to investigate brain regions that are intermediate between mTBI and symptoms of poor mental health.

RESULTS

There were 199 children with mTBI and 527 with possible mTBI across the three ABCD Study visits. There was a 7% (IRR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.13) and 15% (IRR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.26) increased risk of emotional or behavioral problems in children that experienced possible mTBI or mTBI, respectively. Possible mTBI was associated with a 17% (IRR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.99, 1.40) increased risk of experiencing distress following a psychotic-like experience. We did not find any brain regions that meaningfully mediated the relationship between mTBI and mental health outcomes. Analysis of volumetric measures found that approximately 2% to 5% of the total effect of mTBI on mental health outcomes operated through total cortical volume. Image intensity measure analyses determined that approximately 2% to 5% of the total effect was mediated through the left-hemisphere of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

CONCLUSION

Results indicate an increased risk of emotional and behavioral problems in children that experienced possible mTBI or mTBI. Mediation analyses did not elucidate the mechanisms underlying the association between mTBI and mental health outcomes.

Risk factors for development of long-term mood and anxiety disorder after pediatric traumatic brain injury: a population-based, birth cohort analysis

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to identify characteristics associated with an increased risk of anxiety and mood disorder prior to 25 years of age, in children who sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) prior to age 10.

METHODS

This population-based study identified 562 TBI cases from a 1976-1982 birth cohort in Olmsted County, Minnesota. TBI cases were manually confirmed and classified by injury severity. Separate Cox proportional hazards regression models were fit to estimate the association of TBI and secondary non-TBI related characteristics with the risk of a subsequent clinically determined anxiety or mood disorder. Multivariable-adjusted population attributable risk (PAR) estimates were calculated for TBI characteristics.

RESULTS

Older age at initial TBI and extracranial injury at time of initial TBI were significantly associated with an increased risk of anxiety (adjusted HR [95% CI]: 1.33 [1.16, 1.52] per 1-year increase and 2.41 [1.26, 4.59]), respectively. Older age at initial TBI was significantly associated with an increased risk of a mood disorder (adjusted HR 1.17 [1.08-1.27]).

CONCLUSION

In individuals sustaining a TBI prior to age 10, age at injury greater than 5 years old was the largest contributor to development of a mood or anxiety disorder.

Risk of Mental Health Problems in Children and Youths Following Concussion

IMPORTANCE

Concussion may exacerbate existing mental health issues. Little evidence exists on whether concussion is associated with the onset of new psychopathologies or long-term mental health problems.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate associations between concussion and risk of subsequent mental health issues, psychiatric hospitalizations, self-harm, or suicides.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This population-based retrospective cohort study including children and youths aged 5 to 18 years with a concussion or orthopedic injury incurred between April 1, 2010, and March 31, 2020, in Ontario, Canada. Participants had no previous mental health visit in the year before the index event for cohort entry and no prior concussion or traumatic brain injury 5 years before the index visit. Data were collected from provincewide health administrative databases. Participants with concussion were included in the exposed cohort, and those with an orthopedic injury were included in the comparison cohort; these groups were matched 1:2, respectively, on age and sex.

EXPOSURES

Concussion or orthopedic injury.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was mental health problems, such as psychopathologies and psychiatric disorders, identified from health care visits in emergency departments, hospitalizations, or primary care settings. Secondary outcomes were psychiatric hospitalizations, self-harm health care visits, and death by suicide (identified in health care or vital statistics databases).

RESULTS

A total of 152 321 children and youths with concussion (median [IQR] age, 13 [10-16] years; 86 423 [56.7%] male) and 296 482 children and youths with orthopedic injury (median [IQR] age, 13 [10-16] years; 171 563 [57.9%] male) were matched by age and sex. The incidence rates of any mental health problem were 11 141 per 100 000 person-years (exposed group) and 7960 per 100 000 person-years (unexposed group); with a difference of 3181 (95% CI, 3073-3291) per 100 000 person-years. The exposed group had an increased risk of developing a mental health issue (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.39; 95% CI, 1.37-1.40), self-harm (aHR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.42-1.56), and psychiatric hospitalization (aHR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.41-1.53) after a concussion. There was no statistically significant difference in death by suicide between exposed and unexposed groups (HR, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.90-2.61).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among children and youths aged 5 to 18 years, concussion was associated with an increased risk of mental health issues, psychiatric hospitalization, and self-harm compared with children and youths with an orthopedic injury.

Examining the role of neuropsychology in community-based pediatric mental health care

Numerous investigations have demonstrated a link between neuropsychological functioning and mental health. Children with a history of neurological compromise are more vulnerable to mental illness and there is a growing literature indicating that neurocognitive functioning predicts psychosocial outcomes in adulthood. However, not much is known about how neuropsychological information is utilized in community-based mental health care. Thus, we examined what neuropsychological information is available to pediatric centers and how neuropsychological functioning relates to treatment outcomes in these settings. Two content analyses were conducted to identify mental health indicators across different intake sources and these results were compared to a structured intake. Further, a series of standardized neurocognitive and neuroemotional measures were completed and these indices were correlated with treatment outcomes. Qualitative results confirmed that neuropsychological factors are often overlooked when utilizing current approaches and that observable symptoms are a primary focus of treatment. Additionally, neurocognitive deficits were associated with self-reported interpersonal difficulties and caregivers' reports of externalizing; however, only caregiver-reported externalizing challenges correlated with treatment outcomes. Importantly, neurocognitive challenges were associated with long-term treatment responses, suggesting that these factors may be an important therapeutic target. Collectively, these findings indicate a need to incorporate neuropsychological factors in pediatric mental health treatment.

Implementing traumatic brain injury screening in behavioral healthcare: protocol for a prospective mixed methods study

Background

Characteristics of both individuals and innovations are foundational determinants to the adoption of evidenced-based practices (EBPs). However, our understanding about what drives EBP adoption is limited by few studies examining relationships among implementation determinants and implementation outcomes through theory-driven hypothesis testing. Therefore, drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior and Diffusion of Innovations Theory, this study will disentangle relationships between provider characteristics and innovation factors on the early adoption of the Ohio State University Traumatic Brain Injury Identification Method (OSU TBI-ID) in behavioral health settings.

Methods

This study will utilize an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. In Phase I (quantitative), Time 1, we will investigate behavioral health providers (N = 200) attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and intentions to screen for TBI upon completion of a video module introducing the OSU TBI-ID. At Time 2, we will examine the number of TBI screens conducted over the previous month, as well as the feasibility, appropriateness, and acceptability of using the OSU TBI-ID in practice. Structural equation modeling will be used to determine whether provider characteristics predict TBI screening intentions, and whether intentions mediate actual TBI screening behaviors. We will then test whether feasibility, appropriateness, and acceptability of the OSU TBI-ID moderates the relationship between intentions and TBI screening behaviors. In Phase II (qualitative), we will develop an interview guide using results from Phase I and will conduct semi-structured interviews with providers (N = 20) to assess contextual determinants of TBI screening adoption. Qualitative data will be thematically analyzed using sensitizing concepts from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and integrated with the quantitative results using a joint display.

Discussion

This mixed methods study capitalizes on two theory-driven hypotheses bridging proximal (e.g., screening intent) to distal (actual behaviors) implementation outcomes and will contextualize these results qualitatively to advance our understanding about why TBI screening adoption has failed to translate to the behavioral healthcare context. Results of this study will offer insights into what is driving TBI screening adoption so that implementation strategies can be selected with greater precision to improve the adoption, sustainment, and scale-up of TBI screening in behavioral healthcare.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43058-022-00261-x.

What About the Little Ones? Systematic Review of Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes Following Early TBI

There is increasing empirical focus on the effects of early traumatic brain injuries (TBI; i.e., before the age of six years) on child development, but this literature has never been synthetized comprehensively. This systematic review aimed to document the cognitive, academic, behavioral, socio-affective, and adaptive consequences of early TBI. Four databases (Medline, PsycNET, CINAHL, PubMed) were systematically searched from 1990 to 2019 using key terms pertaining to TBI and early childhood. Of 12, 153 articles identified in the initial search, 43 were included. Children who sustain early TBI are at-risk for a range of difficulties, which are generally worse when injury is sustained at a younger age, injury severity is moderate to severe, and injury mechanisms are non-accidental. Early childhood is a sensitive period for the emergence and development of new skills and behaviors, and brain disruption during this time is not benign. Research, clinical management, intervention, and prevention efforts should be further developed with consideration of the unique characteristics of the early childhood period.

Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Alters Glymphatic Clearance Rates in Limbic Structures of Adolescent Female Rats

The glymphatic system is the macroscopic waste clearance system for the central nervous system. Glymphatic dysfunction has been linked to several neurological conditions, including traumatic brain injury (TBI). Adolescents are at particularly high risk for experiencing a TBI, particularly mild TBI (mTBI) and repetitive mTBI (RmTBI); however, glymphatic clearance, and how it relates to behavioral outcomes, has not been investigated in this context. Therefore, this study examined glymphatic function in the adolescent brain following RmTBI. Female adolescent Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to either three mTBIs or sham injuries spaced three days apart. One-day after their final injury, the animals underwent a beam walking task to assess sensorimotor function, and contrast-enhanced MRI to visualize glymphatic clearance rate. Behavioural measures indicated that the RmTBI group displayed an increase in loss of consciousness as well as motor coordination and balance deficits consistent with our previous studies. The contrast-enhanced MRI results indicated that the female adolescent glymphatic system responds to RmTBI in a region-specific manner, wherein an increased influx but reduced efflux was observed throughout limbic structures (hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala) and the olfactory bulb but neither the influx or efflux were altered in the cortical structures (primary motor cortex, insular cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) examined. This may indicate a role for an impaired and/or inefficient glymphatic system in the limbic structures and cortical structures, respectively, in the development of post-concussive symptomology during adolescence.

Objective sleep outcomes 20 years after traumatic brain injury in childhood

Purpose: To assess objective sleep outcomes and correlates in young adults with a history of childhood traumatic brain injury.Materials and methods: Participants included 45 young adults who sustained brain injury in childhood (mild = 12, moderate = 22, and severe = 11) and 13 typically developing control participants. Sleep was assessed with actigraphy and sleep diaries recorded over 14 consecutive days. Rates of good sleep (sleep efficiency ≥ 85%) and poor sleep (sleep efficiency < 85%) were also evaluated.Results: At 20-years postinjury, participants with traumatic brain injury and controls presented with similar outcomes across the objective sleep parameters (all p > 0.050) and rates of poor sleepers were also similar between these groups (p = 0.735): 67% and 77%, respectively. However, moderate and severe traumatic brain injury and female sex were associated with longer sleep duration.Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary insights into objective sleep outcome and associated factors in the very-long-term after childhood brain injuries. They also indicate the need to monitor sleep outcomes in young adults with and without traumatic brain injury.Implication for rehabilitationSustaining traumatic brain injury in childhood can impact on several functional domains including sleep.Sleep disturbances, particularly insomnia-related symptoms, are common in this population, with evidence of poor outcomes reported until adolescence postinjury, while outcomes beyond adolescence remain unexplored.In this first investigation of objective sleep outcomes in young adults with a history of childhood traumatic brain injury, we showed that insomnia-related symptoms are highly prevalent in both young adults with traumatic brain injury (67%) and healthy controls (77%).These findings suggest the need to routinely evaluate and treat sleep problem in young adults in general, irrespective of history of childhood traumatic brain injury.