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Multisensory impairment reported by veterans with and without mild traumatic brain injury history. Terri K. Pogoda, PhD; Ann M. Hendricks, PhD; Katherine M. Iverson, PhD; Kelly L. Stolzmann, MS; Maxine H. Krengel, PhD; Errol Baker, PhD; Mark Meterko, PhD; Henry L. Lew, MD, PhD. Aim
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Multisensory impairment reported by veterans with and without mild traumatic brain injury history Terri K. Pogoda, PhD; Ann M. Hendricks, PhD; Katherine M. Iverson, PhD; Kelly L. Stolzmann, MS; Maxine H. Krengel, PhD; Errol Baker, PhD; Mark Meterko, PhD; Henry L. Lew, MD, PhD
Aim • Identify co-occurrence of self-reported auditory, visual, and vestibular impairment, known as “multisensory impairment” (MSI). • Examine demographic, deployment-related, and mental health characteristics that might predict MSI. • Relevance • Growing literature suggests auditory, visual, and vestibular symptoms are common among Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Methods • Retrospective database study of veterans completing Department of Veterans Affairs comprehensive TBI evaluation between Oct 2007 and Jun 2009. • 3 sets of logistic regressions were performed to predict MSI: • Each demographic, deployment-related, and mental health variable was entered separately. • All variables except PTSD and depression were entered simultaneously. • All variables were entered simultaneously.
Results • MSI: • Across sample: 13.9%. • Subsample with mild TBI and both nonblast and blast injuries: 17.4%. • Factors significantly predictive of reporting MSI: • Older age, being female, lower rank, and etiology of injury. • Deployment-related mild TBI history, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression. • Mild TBI history most robust among these conditions.
Conclusion • A better understanding of impairments incurred by deployed servicemembers: • Is needed to fully understand spectrum of blast and nonblast dysfunction. • May allow for more targeted interventions to be developed to address these issues.