The History and Evolution of Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation in Military Service Members and Veterans

Mapping the institutionalization of racism in the research about race and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation: implications for Black populations

PURPOSE

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a chronic disease process and a public health concern that disproportionately impacts Black populations. While there is an abundance of literature on race and TBI outcomes, there is a lack of scholarship that addresses racism within rehabilitation care, and it remains untheorized. This article aims to illuminate how racism becomes institutionalized in the scientific scholarship that can potentially inform rehabilitation care for persons with TBI and what the implications are, particularly for Black populations.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Applying Bacchi's What's the Problem Represented to be approach, the writings of critical race theory (CRT) are used to examine the research about race and TBI rehabilitation comparable to CRT in other disciplines, including education and legal scholarship.

RESULTS

A CRT examination illustrates that racism is institutionalized in the research about race and TBI rehabilitation through colourblind ideologies, meritocracy, reinforcement of a deficit perspective, and intersections of race and the property functions of whiteness. A conceptual framework for understanding institutional racism in TBI rehabilitation scholarship is presented.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings from this article speak to the future of TBI rehabilitation research for Black populations, the potential for an anti-racist agenda, and implications for research and practice.

Blood-Based Biomarkers in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Narrative Review With Implications for the Legal System

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an increasingly recognized diagnosis with significant, and often costly, associated consequences. Yet, despite their increased recognition, TBIs remain underdiagnosed. This issue is especially prominent in the context of mild TBI (mTBI), where there often exists little to no objective evidence of brain injury. In recent years, considerable effort has been made to better define and interpret known objective markers of TBI, as well as identify and explore new ones. An area of particular interest has focused on research related to blood-based biomarkers of TBI. Advancements in our understanding of TBI-related biomarkers can make it possible to characterize the severity of TBI with greater accuracy, improve our understanding of staging within both the injury process and the recovery process, and help us develop quantifiable metrics representative of reversal and recovery from a brain injury following trauma. Proteomic and non-proteomic blood-based biomarkers are being studied extensively and have shown promise for these purposes. Developments in this realm have significant implications not only for clinical care but also for legislation, as well as civil and criminal litigation. Despite their substantial potential, most of these biomarkers are not yet ready for use within the clinical setting, and therefore, are not appropriate for use within the legal or policy-making systems at this time. Given that existing standardization for the accurate and reliable use of TBI biomarkers is currently insufficient for use within either the clinical or legal realms, such data can be vulnerable to misuse and can even result in the abuse of the legal system for unwarranted gain. Courts will need to carefully evaluate the information presented in their role as gatekeepers of the admissibility of scientific evidence within the legal process. Ultimately, the development of biomarkers should lead to improved clinical care following TBI exposure, coherent and informed laws surrounding TBI, and more accurate and just results in litigation surrounding TBI-related sequelae.

"We have no magic bullet": Diagnostic ideals in veterans' mild traumatic brain injury evaluations

OBJECTIVE

To understand military veterans' and healthcare providers' experiences identifying veterans' personal histories of combat-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) months or years after the injury.

METHODS

Patients and clinical staff of a Veterans Health Administration (VA) Polytrauma/TBI clinic participated in a seven-month ethnographic study, which combined direct observation and interviews with veterans (n = 12) and VA clinicians (n = 11). Data were analyzed thematically.

RESULTS

Veterans and staff have different understandings of the value of neuroimaging in care for patients with post-acute mTBI, and different understandings of the role of diagnostic certainty in clinical care. Veterans sought to understand the relationship between their past head injuries and their current symptoms. Clinicians educated veterans that their symptoms could be caused by multiple factors and embraced ambiguity as part of treating this patient population.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient-provider communication may be enhanced by conversations about common norms of diagnosis and why evaluating mTBI histories departs from these norms.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Clinicians should anticipate that patients may expect a diagnostic process that entails neuroimaging and resolves their uncertainty. In the case of post-acute mTBI, patients would likely benefit from education about the diagnostic process, itself.

Military traumatic brain injury: a challenge straddling neurology and psychiatry

Military psychiatry, a new subcategory of psychiatry, has become an invaluable, intangible effect of the war. In this review, we begin by examining related military research, summarizing the related epidemiological data, neuropathology, and the research achievements of diagnosis and treatment technology, and discussing its comorbidity and sequelae. To date, advances in neuroimaging and molecular biology have greatly boosted the studies on military traumatic brain injury (TBI). In particular, in terms of pathophysiological mechanisms, several preclinical studies have identified abnormal protein accumulation, blood-brain barrier damage, and brain metabolism abnormalities involved in the development of TBI. As an important concept in the field of psychiatry, TBI is based on organic injury, which is largely different from many other mental disorders. Therefore, military TBI is both neuropathic and psychopathic, and is an emerging challenge at the intersection of neurology and psychiatry.

Associations Among PTSD and Postconcussive Symptoms in the Long-Term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Prospective, Longitudinal Study Cohort

OBJECTIVE

To describe rates of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with and without concurrent posttraumatic stress disorder a sample of former and current military personnel, and to compare the factor structure of the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) based on whether participants sustained mTBI with and without a positive posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screen.

SETTING

Participants recruited and tested at 7 Veterans Affairs (VA) sites and 1 military training facility as part of a national, longitudinal study of mental health, physical, and cognitive outcomes among veterans and service members. Participants: Total of 1540 former and current military personnel with a history of combat exposure.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis of observational data, including confirmatory factor analysis. Main Measures: NSI and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5).

RESULTS

Most participants (81.5%) had a history of mTBI and almost half of these screened positive for PTSD (40.5%); only 23.9% of participants without a history of mTBI screened positive for PTSD. Participants with a history of mTBI reported higher elevations of NSI and PCL-5 symptoms compared with those without a history of mTBI. Confirmatory factor analyses of the NSI demonstrated good model fit using a 4-factor structure (somatosensory, affective, cognitive, and vestibular symptoms) among groups of participants both with and without a history of mTBI.

CONCLUSION

Symptoms of mTBI and PTSD are strongly associated with each other among veterans and service members with a history of combat exposure. The 4-factor NSI structure is supported among participants with and without a history of mTBI. These findings suggest the potential benefit of a holistic approach to evaluation and treatment of veterans and service members with concurrent and elevated postconcussive and posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Informal Caregiver Support Policies Change Use of Vocational Assistance Services for Individuals With Disabilities

Support policies for caregivers improves care-recipient access to care and effects may generalize to nonhealth services. Using administrative data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans <55 years, we assessed the association between enrollment in a VA caregiver support program and veteran use of vocational assistance services: the post-9/11 GI Bill, VA vocational rehabilitation and employment (VR&E), and supported employment. We applied instrumental variables to Cox proportional hazards models. Caregiver enrollment in the program increased veteran supported employment use (hazard ratio = 1.35, 95% confidence interval [1.14, 1.53]), decreased VR&E use (hazard ratio = 0.84, 95% confidence interval [0.76, 0.92]), and had no effect on the post-9/11 GI Bill. Caregiver support policies could increase access to some vocational assistance for individuals with disabilities, particularly supported employment, which is integrated into health care. Limited coordination between health and employment sectors and misaligned incentives may have inhibited effects for the post-9/11 GI Bill and VR&E.

Resilience Among Caregivers of Injured Service Members: Finding the Strengths in Caregiving

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationships between caregiver resilience and a comprehensive set of sociodemographic and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) predictors among both caregivers and injured service members.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis of an observational cohort.

SETTING

Community dwelling.

PARTICIPANTS

Caregivers (n=87) who provide instrumental or emotional support to injured service members (n=73)(N=160).

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 25-item version.

RESULTS

Higher caregiver resilience scores were related to lower depressive symptom severity, greater health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, stress management, and problem-solving orientation. A multivariable regression model showed that spiritual growth and aspects of problem-solving orientation were significantly related to resilience.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight the relationships between resilience and spirituality, problem-solving orientation, and aspects of HRQOL among caregivers of injured service members. These findings have important implications for caregiver behavioral health programs designed to promote resilience and draw upon caregiver strengths when taking on a caregiver role. Approaches that include a more integrative medicine or strengths-based emphasis may be particularly beneficial when working with families of injured military.

Templated Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Care Plan Documentation for Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury

PURPOSE OF STUDY

Individualized interdisciplinary care is the hallmark for rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Veterans Health Administration (VHA) utilizes an electronic note template to document Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation and Community Reintegration (IRCR) care plans for Veterans with TBI requiring rehabilitation. All Veterans with a TBI diagnosis, receiving skilled therapy for TBI-related issues, and followed by a case manager must receive a care plan. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of compliance with the IRCR care plan requirements used to identify Veterans with TBI in need of the care plan and to evaluate the reasons for inconsistent compliance. In addition, the study sought to provide a more objective assessment of Veterans with TBI requiring an IRCR to assist in establishing a target metric.

PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTING

TBI outpatient clinics.

METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLE

Investigators conducted a retrospective medical record review of 546 Veterans with a TBI diagnosis seen at the Washington, DC VA Medical Center's outpatient polytrauma clinics in 2013. Cases were initially reviewed for referral or engagement with skilled therapy. Charts where Veterans were referred or engaged with skilled therapy were forwarded to 2 polytrauma clinicians to determine whether therapy was requested to treat a TBI-related condition. Finally, charts were reviewed for case management and analyzed for algorithm compliance. Analysis focused first on compliance with IRCR algorithm requirements and secondarily with identifying potential reasons for noncompliance.

RESULTS

In 2013, 42% of the TBI cohort met the criteria for an IRCR. The vast majority of cases with a TBI diagnosis complied with IRCR algorithm criteria; however, 14% of all reviewed cases required an IRCR but did not receive one. Provision of case management outside of the TBI/polytrauma clinic characterized a majority of noncompliant cases.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT

Interdisciplinary care can be challenging, particularly in the outpatient setting, due to patient availability and access to care. Improved documentation in the electronic health record may assist case managers and other clinicians in coordinating rehabilitation care for Veterans with TBI. Case managers in the VA and other settings may find templates and trackable health factors helpful to identify patients in need of care plans.

Efficacy and acceptability of a home-based, family-inclusive intervention for veterans with TBI: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often undermines community re-integration, impairs functioning and produces other symptoms. This study tested an innovative programme for veterans with TBI, the Veterans' In-home Programme (VIP), delivered in veterans' homes, involving a family member and targeting the environment (social and physical) to promote community re-integration, mitigate difficulty with the most troubling TBI symptoms and facilitate daily functioning.

SETTING

Interviews and intervention sessions were conducted in homes or by telephone.

PARTICIPANTS

Eighty-one veterans with TBI at a VA polytrauma programme and a key family member.

DESIGN

This was a 2-group randomized controlled trial. Control-group participants received usual-care enhanced by two attention-control telephone calls. Follow-up interviews occurred up to 4 months after baseline interview.

MAIN MEASURES

VIP's efficacy was evaluated using measures of community re-integration, target outcomes reflecting veterans' self-identified problems and self-rated functional competence.

RESULTS

At follow-up, VIP participants had significantly higher community re-integration scores and less difficulty managing targeted outcomes, compared to controls. Self-rated functional competence did not differ between groups. In addition, VIP's acceptability was high.

CONCLUSION

A home-based, family-inclusive service for veterans with TBI shows promise for improving meaningful outcomes and warrants further research and clinical application.

Exploring the Relationship Between Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Exposure and the Presence and Severity of Postconcussive Symptoms Among Veterans Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to describe the association between mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and persisting postconcussive symptoms according to symptom category, number, and severity.

DESIGN

The study design was observational.

PARTICIPANTS

The study sample comprised veterans (≥18 years of age) deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) conflicts who had not received any treatment for mTBI in the 30 days preceding study enrollment.

METHODS

Veterans were interviewed and completed testing in a single day. The Standard TBI Diagnostic Interview and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale were used. Testing included the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory and a full neuropsychological battery. Gold standard classification methods were utilized to determine presence/absence of mTBI. For each of the 5 symptom outcomes, an adjusted multiple linear regression model (negative binomial count models) accounting for effects of socio-demographic variables and behavioral health conditions was used.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Self-report of neurobehavioral symptoms categorized as affective, cognitive, somatic, and vestibular symptoms, in addition to the instruments specified above.

RESULTS

OEF/OIF veterans with mTBI, relative to veterans with no mTBI, were observed to have 30% more symptoms overall (P < .001), 34% more somatic symptoms (P < .001), 22% more cognitive symptoms (P = .008), 15% more affective symptoms (P = .017), and 59% more vestibular symptoms (P < .001). For adjusted models, variables significantly related to number of symptoms across all 4 symptom categories were anxiety (all P < .001) and insomnia (all P < .001). For the adjusted models, variables significantly related to symptom severity across all 4 symptom categories were insomnia (all P < .001), depression (P < .001-.05) and anxiety (all, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

OEF/OIF veterans with mTBI, relative to veterans with no mTBI, have significantly more and significantly more severe persisting symptoms, with vestibular symptoms reported with the greatest frequency. After accounting for behavioral health conditions and socio-demographic factors, OEF/OIF veterans with mTBI compared to veterans without mTBI had significantly more cognitive, affective, vestibular, and somatic symptoms persisting 4.8 years after the mTBI event(s).

Diagnostic accuracy studies in mild traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and descriptive analysis of published evidence

OBJECTIVES

To synthesize evidence and report findings from a systematic search and descriptive analysis of peer-reviewed published evidence of the accuracy of tests used for diagnosing mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The article also summarizes points of concurrence and divergence regarding case definitions of mTBI identified during the review. TYPE: Systematic review and descriptive analysis of published evidence.

LITERATURE SURVEY

A search of PubMed, PsychInfo, and the Cochrane Library for peer-reviewed publications between 1990 and July 6, 2011, identified 1218 abstracts; 277 articles were identified for full review, and 13 articles met the criteria for evaluation.

METHODOLOGY

Manuscript inclusion criteria were (1) reported sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp), or reported data were sufficient to compute Se and Sp; (2) >1 participant in the study; (3) at least 80% of the study cohort was ≥18 years of age; and (4) written in English. Articles describing clinical practice guidelines, opinions, theories, or clinical protocols were excluded. Seven investigators independently evaluated each article according to the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) criteria.

SYNTHESIS

Findings indicate that all 13 studies involved civilian noncombat populations. In 7 studies, authors examined acute mTBI, and in 4 studies, historical remote mTBI was examined. In the 13 studies, Se ranged from 13%-92% and Sp ranged from 72%-99%, but confidence in these findings is problematic because the STARD review indicates opportunities for bias in each study.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate that no well-defined definition or clinical diagnostic criteria exist for mTBI and that diagnostic accuracy is currently insufficient for discriminating between mTBI and co-occurring mental health conditions for acute and historic mTBI. Findings highlight the need for research examining the diagnostic accuracy for acute and historic mTBI.

Performance on the Green Word Memory Test following Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom-era military service: Test failure is related to evaluation context

This study investigates prior reports of high neuropsychological symptom validity test (SVT) failure rates in post-deployed Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) active and veteran military personnel, using a large, multi-site sample (N = 214) drawn from three levels of the Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Polytrauma System of Care. The sample failure rate and its relationship to research versus dual research/clinical context of evaluation were examined, in addition to secondary variables explored in prior studies. Results yielded an overall failure rate of 25%, lower than prior reports describing OEF/OIF active-duty and veteran military personnel. Findings also supported the hypothesis that SVT failure rates would differ by context (dual > research). Participants with traumatic brain injury (TBI) failed more frequently than those without TBI in the dual context but not in the research context. Secondary analyses revealed that failure rates increased in the presence of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and male sex but were unrelated to active versus veteran military status, service connection (SC) or percentage of SC, age, education, or ethnicity. Further research is required to elucidate the underpinnings of these findings in light of the limited literature and variability between OEF/OIF-related SVT studies, as well as the substantial diagnostic and treatment implications for VA.