Advanced brain age in deployment-related traumatic brain injury: A LIMBIC-CENC neuroimaging study

Emily L Dennis; Brian A Taylor; Mary R Newsome; Maya Troyanskaya; Tracy J Abildskov; Aaron M Betts; Erin D Bigler; James Cole; Nicholas Davenport; Timothy Duncan; Jessica Gill; Vivian Guedes; Sidney R Hinds 2nd; Elizabeth S Hovenden; Kimbra Kenney; Mary Jo Pugh; Randall S Scheibel; Pashtun-Poh Shahim; Robert Shih; William C Walker; J Kent Werner; Gerald E York; David X Cifu; David F Tate; Elisabeth A Wilde

doi:10.1080/02699052.2022.2033844

Advanced brain age in deployment-related traumatic brain injury: A LIMBIC-CENC neuroimaging study

Brain Inj. 2022 Apr 16;36(5):662-672. doi: 10.1080/02699052.2022.2033844. Epub 2022 Feb 5.

Authors

Emily L Dennis^{1

2}, Brian A Taylor³, Mary R Newsome^{4

5}, Maya Troyanskaya^{4

5}, Tracy J Abildskov¹, Aaron M Betts^{6

7}, Erin D Bigler^{1

8

9}, James Cole^{10

11}, Nicholas Davenport^{12

13}, Timothy Duncan¹⁴, Jessica Gill^{15

16}, Vivian Guedes¹⁵, Sidney R Hinds 2nd¹⁷, Elizabeth S Hovenden¹, Kimbra Kenney^{17

18}, Mary Jo Pugh^{19

20}, Randall S Scheibel^{4

5}, Pashtun-Poh Shahim^{1

2}, Robert Shih⁷, William C Walker^{21

22}, J Kent Werner¹⁷, Gerald E York²³, David X Cifu²⁴, David F Tate^{1

2}, Elisabeth A Wilde^{1

2

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, USA.
² George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, USA.
³ Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA.
⁴ Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, USA.
⁵ H. Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA.
⁶ Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, USA.
⁷ Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, USA.
⁸ Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, USA.
⁹ Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, USA.
¹⁰ Dementia Research Centre, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
¹¹ Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK.
¹² Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, USA.
¹³ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, USA.
¹⁴ VA Portland Healthcare Center, Portland, USA.
¹⁵ National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research, Bethesda, USA.
¹⁶ Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM), UniFormed Services University, Bethesda, USA.
¹⁷ Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, USA.
¹⁸ National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, USA.
¹⁹ Department of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, USA.
²⁰ Information Decision-Enhancement and Analytic Sciences Center, VA Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City, USA.
²¹ Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Richmond, USA.
²² Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA.
²³ Alaska Radiology Associates, Anchorage, USA.
²⁴ Rehabilitation Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, USA.

Abstract

Objective: To determine if history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is associated with advanced or accelerated brain aging among the United States (US) military Service Members and Veterans.

Methods: Eight hundred and twenty-two participants (mean age = 40.4 years, 714 male/108 female) underwent MRI sessions at eight sites across the US. Two hundred and one participants completed a follow-up scan between five months and four years later. Predicted brain ages were calculated using T1-weighted MRIs and then compared with chronological ages to generate an Age Deviation Score for cross-sectional analyses and an Interval Deviation Score for longitudinal analyses. Participants also completed a neuropsychological battery, including measures of both cognitive functioning and psychological health.

Result: In cross-sectional analyses, males with a history of deployment-related mTBI showed advanced brain age compared to those without (t(884) = 2.1, p = .038), while this association was not significant in females. In follow-up analyses of the male participants, severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression symptoms, and alcohol misuse were also associated with advanced brain age.

Conclusion: History of deployment-related mTBI, severity of PTSD and depression symptoms, and alcohol misuse are associated with advanced brain aging in male US military Service Members and Veterans.

Keywords: MRI; TBI; aging; mild brain injury; neuroimaging.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adult
Alcoholism*
Brain
Brain Concussion* / psychology
Brain Injuries, Traumatic* / complications
Brain Injuries, Traumatic* / diagnostic imaging
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Military Personnel* / psychology
Neuroimaging
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / diagnostic imaging
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / etiology
United States
Veterans* / psychology

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding