OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the relationship between close proximity to detonated blast munitions and cognitive functioning in OEF/OIF/OND Veterans. METHODS: A total of 333 participants completed a comprehensive evaluation that included assessment of neuropsychological functions, psychiatric diagnoses and history of military and non-military brain injury. Participants were assigned to a Close-Range Blast Exposure (CBE) or Non-Close-Range Blast Exposure (nonCBE) group based on whether they had reported being exposed to at least one blast within 10 meters. RESULTS: Groups were compared on principal component scores representing the domains of memory, verbal fluency, and complex attention (empirically derived from a battery of standardized cognitive tests), after adjusting for age, education, PTSD diagnosis, sleep quality, substance abuse disorder, and pain. The CBE group showed poorer performance on the memory component. Rates of clinical impairment were significantly higher in the CBE group on select CVLT-II indices. Exploratory analyses examined the effects of concussion and multiple blasts on test performance and revealed that number of lifetime concussions did not contribute to memory performance. However, accumulating blast exposures at distances greater than 10 meters did contribute to poorer performance. CONCLUSIONS: Close proximity to detonated blast munitions may impact memory, and Veterans exposed to close-range blast are more likely to demonstrate clinically meaningful deficits. These findings were observed after statistically adjusting for comorbid factors. Results suggest that proximity to blast should be considered when assessing for memory deficits in returning Veterans. Comorbid psychiatric factors may not entirely account for cognitive difficulties. (JINS, 2018, 24, 466-475).
OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the relationship between close proximity to detonated blast munitions and cognitive functioning in OEF/OIF/OND Veterans. METHODS: A total of 333 participants completed a comprehensive evaluation that included assessment of neuropsychological functions, psychiatric diagnoses and history of military and non-military brain injury. Participants were assigned to a Close-Range Blast Exposure (CBE) or Non-Close-Range Blast Exposure (nonCBE) group based on whether they had reported being exposed to at least one blast within 10 meters. RESULTS: Groups were compared on principal component scores representing the domains of memory, verbal fluency, and complex attention (empirically derived from a battery of standardized cognitive tests), after adjusting for age, education, PTSD diagnosis, sleep quality, substance abuse disorder, and pain. The CBE group showed poorer performance on the memory component. Rates of clinical impairment were significantly higher in the CBE group on select CVLT-II indices. Exploratory analyses examined the effects of concussion and multiple blasts on test performance and revealed that number of lifetime concussions did not contribute to memory performance. However, accumulating blast exposures at distances greater than 10 meters did contribute to poorer performance. CONCLUSIONS: Close proximity to detonated blast munitions may impact memory, and Veterans exposed to close-range blast are more likely to demonstrate clinically meaningful deficits. These findings were observed after statistically adjusting for comorbid factors. Results suggest that proximity to blast should be considered when assessing for memory deficits in returning Veterans. Comorbid psychiatric factors may not entirely account for cognitive difficulties. (JINS, 2018, 24, 466-475).
Authors: Andrew S Rosenblatt; Ruosha Li; Catherine Fortier; Xiangyu Liu; Jennifer R Fonda; Audri Villalon; Regina E McGlinchey; Ricardo E Jorge Journal: Psychol Trauma Date: 2018-08-16
Authors: David F Tate; Emily L Dennis; John T Adams; Maheen M Adamson; Heather G Belanger; Erin D Bigler; Heather C Bouchard; Alexandra L Clark; Lisa M Delano-Wood; Seth G Disner; Blessen C Eapen; Carol E Franz; Elbert Geuze; Naomi J Goodrich-Hunsaker; Kihwan Han; Jasmeet P Hayes; Sidney R Hinds; Cooper B Hodges; Elizabeth S Hovenden; Andrei Irimia; Kimbra Kenney; Inga K Koerte; William S Kremen; Harvey S Levin; Hannah M Lindsey; Rajendra A Morey; Mary R Newsome; John Ollinger; Mary Jo Pugh; Randall S Scheibel; Martha E Shenton; Danielle R Sullivan; Brian A Taylor; Maya Troyanskaya; Carmen Velez; Benjamin Sc Wade; Xin Wang; Ashley L Ware; Ross Zafonte; Paul M Thompson; Elisabeth A Wilde Journal: Brain Imaging Behav Date: 2021-01-07 Impact factor: 3.978
Authors: Alexandra L Clark; Victoria C Merritt; Erin D Bigler; Katherine J Bangen; Madeleine Werhane; Scott F Sorg; Mark W Bondi; Dawn M Schiehser; Lisa Delano-Wood Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2018-11-09 Impact factor: 4.003
Authors: Meghan E Pierce; Jasmeet Hayes; Bertrand Russell Huber; Andreas Jeromin; Catherine B Fortier; Jennifer R Fonda; Heather Lasseter; Lauren Chaby; Regina McGlinchey; William Milberg Journal: Transl Psychiatry Date: 2022-02-26 Impact factor: 6.222
Authors: Brian L Edlow; Yelena G Bodien; Timothy Baxter; Heather G Belanger; Ryan J Cali; Katryna B Deary; Bruce Fischl; Andrea S Foulkes; Natalie Gilmore; Douglas N Greve; Jacob M Hooker; Susie Y Huang; Jessica N Kelemen; W Taylor Kimberly; Chiara Maffei; Maryam Masood; Daniel P Perl; Jonathan R Polimeni; Bruce R Rosen; Samantha L Tromly; Chieh-En J Tseng; Eveline F Yao; Nicole R Zürcher; Christine L Mac Donald; Kristen Dams-O'Connor Journal: J Neurotrauma Date: 2022-06-29 Impact factor: 4.869
Authors: Jared A Rowland; Sarah L Martindale; Kayla M Spengler; Robert D Shura; Katherine H Taber Journal: Brain Inj Date: 2020-02-25 Impact factor: 2.311
Authors: Lauren J Radigan; Regina E McGlinchey; William P Milberg; Catherine Brawn Fortier Journal: J Head Trauma Rehabil Date: 2018 Sep/Oct Impact factor: 2.710