Active duty service members who sustain a traumatic brain injury have chronically elevated peripheral concentrations of Aβ40 and lower ratios of Aβ42/40.

Primary Objective: Excessive accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau have been observed in older individuals with chronic neurological symptoms related to a traumatic brain injury (TBI), yet little is known about the possible role of Aβ in younger active duty service members following a TBI. The purpose of the study was to determine if Aβ 40 or 42 related to sustaining a TBI or to chronic neurological symptoms in a young cohort of military personnel.

Research Design: This was a cross-sectional study of active duty service members who reported sustaining a TBI and provided self-report of neurological and psychological symptoms and provided blood.

Altered gene expression of the innate immune, neuroendocrine, and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) systems is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder in military personnel.

Whole transcriptome analysis provides an unbiased examination of biological activity, and likely, unique insight into the mechanisms underlying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid depression and traumatic brain injury. This study compared gene-expression profiles in military personnel with PTSD (n=28) and matched controls without PTSD (n=27) using HG-U133 Plus 2.0 microarrays (Affymetrix), which contain 54,675 probe sets representing more than 38,500 genes.

Peripheral Total Tau in Military Personnel Who Sustain Traumatic Brain Injuries During Deployment.

Importance: Approximately one-third of military personnel who deploy for combat operations sustain 1 or more traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which increases the risk for chronic symptoms of postconcussive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression and for the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Elevated concentrations of tau are observed in blood shortly following a TBI, but, to our knowledge, the role of tau elevations in blood in the onset and maintenance of chronic symptoms after TBI has not been investigated.

Objectives: To assess peripheral tau levels in military personnel exposed to TBI and to examine the relationship between chronic neurological symptoms and tau elevations.