Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) among UK military personnel whilst deployed in Afghanistan in 2011. (June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jones, Norman; Fear, Nicola T.; Rona, Roberto; Fertout, Mohammed; Thandi, Gursimran; Wessely, Simon; Greenberg, Neil
• Is Part Of: Brain injury. Volume 28:Number 7(2014)
• Page Start: 896
• Page End: 899
• Publication Date: 2014-06
• Subjects: Brain damage -- Periodicals; Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Periodicals; Brain Injuries -- Periodicals; 617.481
• DOI: 10.3109/02699052.2014.888479
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-9052

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Introduction</italic>: mTBI has been termed the 'signature injury' of recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Most mTBI research uses retrospective accounts of exposure and point of injury symptoms; mTBI is reportedly less common among UK than US Forces.</p> <p> <italic>Methods</italic>: This study examined the rate of mTBI exposure and symptoms in 1363 UK military personnel deployed in Afghanistan in 2011 using a self-report questionnaire. Data were collected in the operational location during the 5th month of a 6-month deployment. Personnel reported injuries and symptoms related to six events including fragmentation, blast, bullet, fall, motor vehicle accident and 'other' exposure.</p> <p> <italic>Results</italic>: Eighty (5.9%) reported at least one potential mTBI exposure during the current deployment and 1.6% (<italic>n</italic> = 22) reported injury and one or more mTBI symptoms (1 year incidence rate = 3.2%). Higher PTSD symptom scores were significantly associated with reporting potential mTBI (<italic>p</italic> ≤ 0.001) and mTBI with symptoms (<italic>p</italic> ≤ 0.001).</p> <p> <italic>Conclusion</italic>: This study used contemporaneous data gathered in the deployed location which are subject to less memory distortion than studies using post-deployment recall. The incidence of mTBI was substantially lower than those reported in both US and UK post-deployment studies which is consistent with inflated reporting of symptoms when measured post-deployment.</p> </abstract>