The Effect of Comorbid Traumatic Brain Injury and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder on Cognitive Performance and Social Functioning among Treatment-Seeking Active Duty US Service Members
Abstract
TBI and PTSD have been labeled "signature wounds" of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and can result in considerable distress for a significant number of service members. Despite their frequent comorbidity and overlapping symptoms, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding the combined effects of TBI and PTSD on cognitive performance as well as how they impact social functioning. The present study first examined potentially synergistic effects of comorbid TBI and PTSD symptoms on cognitive performance in a sample of treatment-seeking service members with PTSD symptoms and/or TBI. While service members in the TBI-only, PTSD symptoms-only, and comorbid groups performed significantly below average compared to norms in regards to cognitive performance, service members with TBI-only did not significantly differ from those with PTSD symptoms-only. However, individuals with both TBI and PTSD symptoms performed worse than those with either condition alone. The study further explored the contributions of cognitive performance, neurobehavioral symptoms, and emotional distress on social functioning in a subsample of these service members. Results indicated a significant predictive relationship among cognitive performance, neurobehavioral symptoms, and emotional distress on social functioning. Additionally, neurobehavioral symptoms were found to completely mediate the relationship between emotional distress and social functioning. Findings highlight the importance of the symptom relationships between TBI and PTSD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 09, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1181546
Entities
People
- Larissa Leigh Tate
Organizations
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences