Mild traumatic brain injury and anxiety sequelae: A review of the literature

Abstract

There is scattered but significant psychological and neuropsychological evidence to suggest that mild traumatic brain injury (mild TBI) plays a notable role in the emergence and expression of anxiety. Conversely, there is also empirical evidence to indicate that anxiety may exert a pronounced impact on the prognosis and course of recovery of an individual who has sustained a mild TBI. Although the relationship between mild TBI and anxiety remains unclear, the present body of research attempts to elucidate a number of aspects regarding this topic. Overall, the mild TBI research is rife with inconsistencies concerning prevalence rates, the magnitude and implications of this issue and, in the case of PTSD, even whether certain diagnoses can exist at all. This review obviates the need for greater consistencies across studies, especially between varying disciplines, and calls for a shift from studies overly focused on categorical classification to those concerned with dimensional conceptualization.

Enhanced vocational rehabilitation for Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury and mental illness: Pilot study

“…The comorbid occurrence of mTBI and MI is high among the Veteran population [8][9][10][11]. Mental health diagnoses in these populations often better account for lingering cognitive symptoms than the mTBI itself [12][13], consistent with the civilian literature on mTBI [14][15][16][17][18]. In fact, in a sample of more than 4,000 Army Veterans with a psychiatric diagnosis, such as depression, generalized anxiety disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and no history of mTBI, the incidence of postconcussive syndrome symptoms, including cognitive difficulties, was greater than it was for Veterans with a history of mTBI [19].…”

Insomnia in the context of traumatic brain injury

“…These nonsleep comorbidities include an elevated prevalence of depression (15.6%-61.0%) [26], pain (43.1%) [27], and anxiety (23.0%) [28]. While direct neural damage resulting from the TBI may cause some of these morbidities, the events surrounding the TBI may cause others.…”

Anxiety caused by traumatic brain injury correlates to decreased prefrontal cortex vegf immunoreactivity and neuron density in immature rats

“…Cognitive deficits are well-known sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that lead to long-term functional impairment and decrease in quality of life (11,26,27). In recent years, psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, and personality changes was seen following TBI (15,24,32,40).…”