Journal
JOURNAL OF HEAD TRAUMA REHABILITATION
Volume 24, Issue 1, Pages 32-40Publisher
LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
DOI: 10.1097/HTR.0b013e3181957016
Keywords
neuropsychology; processing speed; psychiatric; PTSD; rehabilitation; Stroop; TBI
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Background: Comorbid mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common clinical presentation among troops returning from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). This study examined processing speed and executive functioning in a sample of OEF/OIF veterans who had sustained mTBI, a subset of whom also had comorbid PTSD. Methods: Fifty-three OEF/OIF veterans with a history of mTBI completed Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III Symbol Search and Digit Symbol-Coding subscales, Stroop Word, color and color-word trials, and Trail Making Test, Parts A and B as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Results: Excluding from analysis those who scored poorly on effort testing, multiple regression showed that measures of processing speed accounted for 43% of the variance in performance on the Trail Making Test, Part B and 50% of the variance in performance on the Stroop task. Significant differences in processing speed and executive functioning were found on the basis of presence of comorbid PTSD. Stroop Color (F = 9.27, df = 52, P < .004) and Stroop Color Word (F = 7.19, df = 52, P < .01) scores differed significantly between the groups. Those having comorbid PTSD (+TBI/+PTSD) scored significantly poorer than the mTBI-only group (+TBI/-PTSD). Implications for treatment of the comorbid conditions are discussed.
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