Sensory dysfunction and traumatic brain injury severity among deployed post-9/11 veterans: a Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium study

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of sensory dysfunction (i.e. auditory, visual, vestibular, chemosensory and multiple sensory problems) and explore associations with traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity and injury mechanism among deployed Post-9/11 Veterans.

Methods: This retrospective cohort analysis used Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs diagnostic codes and administrative data.

Results: Among the 570,248 Veterans in this cohort, almost 23% had at least one diagnosis of sensory dysfunction. In the multinomial regression analysis, the odds of all types of sensory dysfunction were greater among those with any TBI relative to those with no TBI. The odds for auditory or multisensory problems were higher among those that indicated exposure to blast. In particular, exposure to quaternary blast injury (e.g. crush, respiratory and burn injuries) was associated with increased odds for auditory, visual, vestibular and multisensory problems.

Conclusions: Sensory problems affect a substantial number of deployed Post-9/11 Veterans and are more common among those with TBI or with exposure to deployment-related blast exposure. Because sensory problems profoundly impact quality of life, their identification and enhanced education and therapy are vital tools to improve prognosis for these relatively young Veterans.

KEYWORDS:

• Brain injury
• sensory
• Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
• Veteran
• health care

Acknowledgments

This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development, VA Health Services Research and Development Service, South Texas Veterans Healthcare System/Audie L. Murphy Division, the Edith Nourse Rogers VA Memorial Hospital, and the Joint Trauma System.

Declaration of interest

This work was supported by grant funding from: Department of Defense, Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (CENC) Award W81XWH-13-2-0095 and Department of Veterans Affairs CENC Award I01 CX001135. The authors report no conflicts of interest. The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this article are those of the authors and should not be construed as an official Veterans Affairs or Department of Defense position, policy or decision, unless so designated by other official documentation.