Is lifetime traumatic brain injury a risk factor for mild cognitive impairment in veterans compared to non-veterans?

Rebecca Akhanemhe; Sharon Stevelink; Anne Corbett; Clive Ballard; Helen Brooker; Bryon Creese; Dag Aarsland; Adam Hampshire; Neil Greenberg

doi:10.1080/20008066.2023.2291965

Is lifetime traumatic brain injury a risk factor for mild cognitive impairment in veterans compared to non-veterans?

Rebecca Akhanemhe, Sharon Stevelink, Anne Corbett, Clive Ballard, Helen Brooker, Bryon Creese, Dag Aarsland, Adam Hampshire, Neil Greenberg

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3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is prevalent in veterans and may occur at any stages of their life (before, during, or after military service). This is of particular concern, as previous evidence in the general population has identified TBI as a strong risk factor for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a known precursor of dementia. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate whether exposure to at least one TBI across the lifetime was a risk factor for MCI in ageing UK veterans compared to non-veterans. Method: This cross-sectional study comprised of data from PROTECT, a cohort study comprising UK veterans and non-veterans aged ≥ 50 years at baseline. Veteran and TBI status were self-reported using the Military Service History Questionnaire (MSHQ) and the Brain Injury Screening Questionnaire (BISQ), respectively. MCI was the outcome of interest, and was defined as subjective cognitive impairment and objective cognitive impairment. Results: The sample population comprised of veterans (n = 701) and non-veterans (n = 12,389). TBI was a significant risk factor for MCI in the overall sample (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.11–1.31) compared to individuals without TBI. The prevalence of TBI was significantly higher in veterans compared to non-veterans (69.9% vs 59.5%, p <.001). There was no significant difference in the risk of MCI between veterans with TBI and non-veterans with TBI (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 0.98–1.45). Conclusion: TBI remains an important risk factor for MCI, irrespective of veteran status. The clinical implications indicate the need for early intervention for MCI prevention after TBI.

Original language	English
Article number	2291965
Journal	European journal of psychotraumatology
Volume	15
Issue number	1
Early online date	4 Jan 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2023.2291965
Publication status	Published - 2024

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Cite this

@article{5c9a01a1d6954efa9a5346988f33bf30,

title = "Is lifetime traumatic brain injury a risk factor for mild cognitive impairment in veterans compared to non-veterans?",

abstract = "Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is prevalent in veterans and may occur at any stages of their life (before, during, or after military service). This is of particular concern, as previous evidence in the general population has identified TBI as a strong risk factor for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a known precursor of dementia. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate whether exposure to at least one TBI across the lifetime was a risk factor for MCI in ageing UK veterans compared to non-veterans. Method: This cross-sectional study comprised of data from PROTECT, a cohort study comprising UK veterans and non-veterans aged ≥ 50 years at baseline. Veteran and TBI status were self-reported using the Military Service History Questionnaire (MSHQ) and the Brain Injury Screening Questionnaire (BISQ), respectively. MCI was the outcome of interest, and was defined as subjective cognitive impairment and objective cognitive impairment. Results: The sample population comprised of veterans (n = 701) and non-veterans (n = 12,389). TBI was a significant risk factor for MCI in the overall sample (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.11–1.31) compared to individuals without TBI. The prevalence of TBI was significantly higher in veterans compared to non-veterans (69.9% vs 59.5%, p <.001). There was no significant difference in the risk of MCI between veterans with TBI and non-veterans with TBI (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 0.98–1.45). Conclusion: TBI remains an important risk factor for MCI, irrespective of veteran status. The clinical implications indicate the need for early intervention for MCI prevention after TBI.",

author = "Rebecca Akhanemhe and Sharon Stevelink and Anne Corbett and Clive Ballard and Helen Brooker and Bryon Creese and Dag Aarsland and Adam Hampshire and Neil Greenberg",

note = "Funding Information: This study was funded as part of a PhD studentship by the Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Society (award no. 475 [AS-PhD-18b-002]). The PROTECT study was externally funded/supported by the National Institute of Health and Care Research, Exeter Biomedical Research Centre. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. The Family History of Neurological Disease Questionnaire was funded in part by the Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Research UK South West Network. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.",

year = "2024",

doi = "10.1080/20008066.2023.2291965",

language = "English",

volume = "15",

journal = "European journal of psychotraumatology",

issn = "2000-8198",