The influence of traumatic brain injury on acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder following motor vehicle accidents

Abstract

This study compared the acute stress disorder and post traumatic stress disorder PTSD symptom profiles in motor vehicle accident survivors who sustained a mild traumatic brain injury MTBI or no TBI. Consecutive adult patients who sustained a MTBI n=79 and no TBI n=92 were assessed for acute stress disorder within 1 month of their trauma and reassessed for PTSD MTBI: n=63; non TBI; n=72 6 months post trauma. Comparable rates of acute stress disorder and PTSD were reported in MTBI and non TBI patients. Intrusive memories and fear and helplessness in response to the trauma were reported less frequently by MTBI than non TBI patients at the acute phase. Six months post trauma fewer MTBI patients than non TBI reported fear and helplessness in response to the trauma. These findings suggest that, whereas impaired consciousness at the time of a trauma may reduce the frequency of traumatic memories in the initial month post trauma, MTBI does not result in a different profile of longer term PTSD.