White Matter Microstructural Compromise Is Associated With Cognition But Not Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Military Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury.
Scott F Sorg, Dawn M Schiehser, Mark W Bondi and 5 others
PMID 26360008WHAT IT FOUND
Current PTSD symptoms were not linked to white matter changes in Veterans with mild to moderate TBI.
White matter changes were linked to processing speed and executive function, and TBI history to poorer memory and coding.
Key findings
01TBI history was associated with lower FA in the genu and left cingulum bundle after adjustment for age, education, depression and PTSD scores.
02PTSD symptom ratings did not predict DTI values in any region in the regression models.
03TBI history was associated with poorer memory and coding, and processing speed and executive function scores correlated with FA in multiple tracts.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample was small, with 38 Veterans with TBI and 17 controls. The groups were compared at a single assessment, so the study cannot show that TBI caused the white matter or cognitive differences. Most Veterans with TBI reported more than one TBI, so results may not apply to single-event TBI. The TBI group was on average four years from the most recent mild TBI, so findings may not apply to recent injuries. PTSD was measured by symptom ratings, not a clinician-guided assessment. No therapy was tested, so the study cannot support a specific treatment recommendation.
Declared interests
The paper states only that for the remaining authors no conflicts were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that white matter changes explain current PTSD symptoms. PTSD ratings did not predict DTI values in any region (p's > .23), and the study did not follow people over time.