Law Enforcement Officers and Traumatic Brain Injuries
Abstract
Rationale/Objective: Our long-term goal is to raise awareness, monitor, and optimize civilian law enforcement officer (LEO) health and wellness following traumatic brain injury (TBI), with the primary focus on preserving quality of life and careers of those who protect and serve our community. In the process of protecting and serving our community daily, LEOs are often called to respond to stressful, life-threatening, and potentially traumatic situations, often putting their own lives in danger. This work puts them at risk for experiencing TBIs, musculoskeletal injuries, and psychological health conditions (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD). Our LEOs currently lack the health care, educational resources, and support they need, potentially causing long-term health consequences. Therefore, we propose the following three Aims. Aim 1 will determine how many LEOs have a history of TBI and psychological health conditions; we will also ask questions about how they sustained the TBIs (e.g., sports, military service, on duty). Aim 2 will use sensors in mouthguards to measure head impact exposures during combative training and will use sensors on headgear and vests to measure blast exposures. Aim 3 will use a series of performance assessments before and after head impact and blast exposures; testing will include cognitive, reaction time, jump performance, heart rate, balance, gait and sleep assessments. CBPR Approach: Our community-based partners include Executive Director of the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators, Rebeccah Wolfkiel, and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, Scott Paur and Joshua Walters. Our community-based partners have been involved in the design of the proposed project and will be involved in every stage of the research process, from recruitment and implementation to data dissemination. Impact: This proposal will target FY22 TBIPHRP IIRA Focus Area 1, Understand by determining how many LEOs have a history of TBIs and psychological health conditions, (Aim 1) and Focus Area 2, Prevent and assess by measuring head impacts and blasts exposures in LEOs during training activities, (Aim 2) and determining the effects of these head impacts and blast exposures on human performance (Aim 3). Ultimately, this proposal will improve our understanding of TBIs and psychological health conditions among LEOs. Beneficiaries: Our findings will allow us to draw actionable insights to inform training and operational decision-making and to increase awareness of the potentially negative effects of head impacts and blast exposures within the law enforcement community; we will disseminate findings to relevant stakeholders who can provide health care and educational resources to LEOs. Clinical Applications: Findings will help us develop a framework for monitoring that may be used in the future for LEOs or U.S. Service Members and will provide risk mitigation strategies, such as calculating the minimum safe distance for breachers in training exercises. Risk mitigation strategies not only include monitoring and reducing the magnitude of blunt head impacts and low-level blast exposures, but also wellness initiatives within law enforcement organizations (e.g., rehabilitation programs, peer-mentoring for Veterans to address transition to civilian life, behavioral screening tools). Importantly, these data are needed as a first step in developing injury thresholds and exposure standards. Projected Timeline to Achieve the Expected Outcomes: With the help of our community-based partners, we will disseminate findings to relevant stakeholders, including local, state, and federal agencies and organizations by the end of year 3. We have already started educational initiatives focused on TBIs and psychological health conditions in LEOs by presenting at the 2022 Ohio Public Safety Symposium. Finally, we will present study findings each year at the Military Health System Research Sym
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 04, 2024
- Source ID
- HT94252310520
Entities
People
- Jaclyn Caccese
Organizations
- Ohio State University
- United States Army