Impact of psychiatric symptomatology on neuropsychological assessment performance in persons with TBI: A comparison of OEF/OIF veteran and civilian samples.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether increased incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive symptomatology in veterans with combat-related traumatic brain injury might help account for neurocognitive impairment relative to civilians with traumatic brain injury.

PARTICIPANTS

Neuropsychological assessment data of 53 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans and 48 civilians with positive history of traumatic brain injury were analyzed to assess differences with respect to cognitive performance.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of data including neurocognitive test performance and self-reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

RESULTS

Results showed worse neurocognitive performance (i.e. RBANS Total Index score) in the veteran sample relative to the civilian sample [F(1,99) = 3.92, p = .05, ƞ2 = .04], particularly on tasks measuring attentional capabilities [F(1,99) = 9.18, p = .003, ƞ2 = .09]. Additional analyses found that after controlling for post-traumatic stress disorder symptomatology, differences were no longer significant. Broad correlations between measures also showcased attenuated relationships after controlling for both post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive symptomatology using partial correlations

Conclusion

Findings suggest that the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive symptomatology negatively impacts cognitive performance across neuropsychological assessment above and beyond deficits related to traumatic brain injury.