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Relationship of screen-based symptoms for mild traumatic brain injury and mental health problems in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans: Distinct or overlapping symptoms?. Shira Maguen, PhD; Karen M. Lau, MA; Erin Madden, MPH; Karen Seal, MD, MPH. Aim
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Relationship of screen-based symptoms for mild traumatic brain injury and mental health problems in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans: Distinct or overlapping symptoms? Shira Maguen, PhD; Karen M. Lau, MA; Erin Madden, MPH; Karen Seal, MD, MPH
Aim • Identify distinguishing features of traumatic brain injury (TBI), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression to more accurately discriminate among them in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans. • Relevance • Separating symptoms of TBI from symptoms of mental health problems (PTSD and depression) may facilitate diagnosis, triage to specialty care, and targeted symptom management.
Methods • We used factor analytic techniques to differentiate distinct from overlapping screen-based symptoms of TBI, PTSD, and depression derived from screen results of OIF/OEF veterans between April 2007 and January 2010.
Results • Four separate constructs emerged: • TBI. • PTSD. • Depression. • Hypervigilance/sleep problems. • Symptoms unique to TBI included dizziness, headaches, memory problems, and light sensitivity.
Conclusion • Emergence of hypervigilance/sleep problems as a fourth factor highlights need to attend to specific symptoms in postdeployment screening process. • Discriminating symptoms of TBI from mental health problems may facilitate diagnosis, triage to specialty care, and targeted symptom management.