Detecting Mild Traumatic Brain Injury after Combat Deployment: Agreement Between Veterans Health Administration Clinical System and LIMBIC-CENC Research Protocol.

Identifying historical mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is important for many clinical care reasons; however, diagnosing mild TBI is inherently challenging and utility of screening is unknown. This study compares a standardized research process to an established clinical process for screening and diagnosis of historical mild TBI during combat deployment in a military/Veteran cohort. Using validated instruments, the Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (LIMBIC-CENC) prospective longitudinal study (PLS) screens for all potential concussive events (PCEs) and conducts structured concussion diagnostic interviews for each PCE.

Cannabis use disorder contributes to cognitive dysfunction in Veterans with traumatic brain injury.

Background: While emerging evidence supports a link between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and progressive cognitive dysfunction in Veterans, there is insufficient information on the impact of cannabis use disorder (CUD) on long-term cognitive disorders. This study aimed to examine the incidences of cognitive disorders in Veterans with TBI and CUD and to evaluate their relationship.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used the US Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense administrative data from the Long-term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Phenotype study.

The economic impact of cannabis use disorder and dementia diagnosis in veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury.

Background: Studies have demonstrated that individuals diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) frequently use medical and recreational cannabis to treat persistent symptoms of TBI, such as chronic pain and sleep disturbances, which can lead to cannabis use disorder (CUD). We aimed to determine the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) healthcare utilization and costs associated with CUD and dementia diagnosis in veterans with TBI.

Methods: This observational study used administrative datasets from the population of post-9/11 veterans from the Long-term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium and the VA Data Warehouse.

A Novel GNAS Mutation in a Patient with Ia Pseudohypoparathyroidism (iPPSD2) Phenotype.

Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is a heterogeneous orphan disease characterized by multihormonal resistance and several phenotypic features. In some cases, PHP is caused by a mutation in the that encodes the alpha subunit of the G protein, one of the key transmitters of intracellular signals. A correlation between the genotype and phenotype of patients with mutations has not yet been described.

Association Between Traumatic Brain Injury and Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease Among Post-9/11-Era Veterans.

Importance: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was common among US service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Although there is some evidence to suggest that TBI increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), prior reports were predominantly limited to cerebrovascular outcomes. The potential association of TBI with CVD has not been comprehensively examined in post-9/11-era veterans.

Associations Between Sociodemographic, Mental Health, and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Characteristics With Lifetime History of Criminal Justice Involvement in Combat Veterans and Service Members.

Introduction: Veterans and service members (V/SM) may have more risk factors for arrest and felony incarceration (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder and at-risk substance use) but also more protective factors (e.

Comparing Service Use and Costs of Individual Placement and Support With Usual Vocational Services for Veterans With PTSD.

Objective: Among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), supported employment that utilizes the individual placement and support (IPS) model has resulted in consistently better employment and functional outcomes than usual vocational rehabilitation services. This study aimed to compare these two approaches in terms of health services use and associated costs.

Methods: A secondary analysis of a multisite randomized controlled trial of 541 unemployed veterans with PTSD used archival data from electronic medical records to assess the use and costs of health services of IPS and usual care (i.

Demographic, military, and health comorbidity variables by mild TBI and PTSD status in the LIMBIC-CENC cohort.

Objective: To describe associations of demographic, military, and health comorbidity variables between mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) history and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) status in a sample of Former and current military personnel.

Setting: Participants recruited and tested at seven VA sites and one military training facility in the LIMBIC-CENC prospective longitudinal study (PLS), which examines the long-term mental health, neurologic, and cognitive outcomes among previously combat-deployed U.S.

Cost-Effectiveness of Individual Placement and Support Compared to Transitional Work Program for Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) leads to significant disability, unemployment, and substantial healthcare costs. The cost-effectiveness of vocational rehabilitation (VR) interventions is important to consider when determining which services to offer. This study assesses the cost-effectiveness and return on investment of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) compared to transitional work (TW) programs.

[Clinical and molecular genetic features of cases of isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, associated with defects in genes].

Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) is a rare disorder characterised by lack of pubertal development and infertility, due to deficient production, secretion or action of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Clinically, there are variants of CHH with hypo-/anosmia (Kalman syndrome) and normosmic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Given a  growing list of gene mutations accounting for CHH, the application of next generation sequencing (NGS) comprises an excellent molecular diagnostic approach because it enables the simultaneous evaluation of many genes.

[Clinical and molecular genetic features of 3 family cases of the central precocious puberty, due to gene defects].

Gonadotropin-dependent precocious puberty (central) is a condition resulting from the early (up to 8 years in girls and 9 years in boys) reactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. An increase in the secretion of sex steroids by the gonads in this form is a consequence of the stimulation of the sex glands by gonadotropic hormones of the pituitary gland. In the absence of central nervous system abnormalities, CPP is classified as idiopathic and as familial in some cases, emphasizing the genetic origin of this disorder.

Associations Among PTSD and Postconcussive Symptoms in the Long-Term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Prospective, Longitudinal Study Cohort.

Objective: To describe rates of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with and without concurrent posttraumatic stress disorder a sample of former and current military personnel, and to compare the factor structure of the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) based on whether participants sustained mTBI with and without a positive posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screen.

Setting: Participants recruited and tested at 7 Veterans Affairs (VA) sites and 1 military training facility as part of a national, longitudinal study of mental health, physical, and cognitive outcomes among veterans and service members. Participants: Total of 1540 former and current military personnel with a history of combat exposure.

Potential Concussive Event Narratives of Post-9/11 Combat Veterans: Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Study.

Introduction: Deployment-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) affects a significant proportion of those who served in Post-9/11 combat operations. The prevalence of head injuries, including those that lead to mTBI, is often reported quantitatively. However, service member (SM) and Veteran firsthand accounts of their potential concussive events (PCEs) and mTBIs can serve as a rich resource for better understanding the nuances and context of these exposures.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Risk Is Associated with Cognitive Impairment after Controlling for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury History: A Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Study.

The contribution of sleep disturbance to persistent cognitive symptoms following a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) remains unclear. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is very common, yet its relationship between risk factors for developing OSA and cognitive performance in those with history of mTBI has not been investigated. The current study examined OSA risk levels and its association with cognitive performance in 391 combat-exposed, post-911 veterans and service members (median age = 37 years) enrolled in the Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (CENC) prospective multi-center study.

Health Services Utilization, Health Care Costs, and Diagnoses by Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Exposure: A Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Study.

Objective: To compare Veterans Health Administration (VHA) diagnoses, health services utilization, and costs by mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) group (blast-related [BR] mTBI vs non-blast-related [NBR] mTBI vs no mTBI) among Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)/Operation New Dawn (OND) veterans in the Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium multicenter observational study.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Four Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.

Experiences of VA vocational and education training and assistance services: Facilitators and barriers reported by veterans with disabilities.

Objective: To understand the experiences of veterans with disabilities and caregiving needs who use Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) vocational and education services, including Supported Employment, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment.

Method: We conducted 26 joint semistructured interviews with post-9/11 veterans who had used at least one of three vocational and education services, and their family members who were enrolled in a VA Caregiver Support Program.

Results: VA vocational and education services helped veterans with disabilities transition from the military into civilian life by providing skills and incremental exposure to engaging in everyday life tasks.

[Diagnostic algorithm for autosomal recessive ataxia].

Aim: To develop a complex algorithm for autosomal recessive ataxia (ARA) diagnosis applicable for Russian patients with degenerative ataxias.

Material And Methods: 48 patients with of presumably degenerative ataxias were examined. Clinical evaluation was performed with the use of the SARA and ICARS scales (for ataxia) and MoCA (cognitive functions), and a set of laboratory tests was carried out, including electromyography, brain MRI, and DNA analysis of mutations responsible for Friedreich's disease and spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) types 1, 2, 3, 6 and 17.

Leveraging institutional support for family caregivers to meet the health and vocational needs of persons with disabilities.

Background: Family caregivers might enhance veteran engagement in health and nonhealth services (i.e., vocational/educational assistance).

Association of Traumatic Brain Injury With Vestibular Dysfunction and Dizziness in Post-9/11 Veterans.

Objective: To describe the prevalence and impact of vestibular dysfunction and nonspecific dizziness diagnoses and explore their associations with traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity, mechanism, and postconcussive comorbidities among post-9/11 veterans.

Setting: Administrative medical record data from the US Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs (VA).

Participants: Post-9/11 veterans with at least 3 years of VA care.

A prediction model of military combat and training exposures on VA service-connected disability: a CENC study.

: Research has shown that number of and blast-related Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) are associated with higher levels of service-connected disability (SCD) among US veterans. This study builds and tests a prediction model of SCD based on combat and training exposures experienced during active military service.: Based on 492 US service member and veteran data collected at four Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) sites, traditional and Machine Learning algorithms were used to identify a best set of predictors and model type for predicting %SCD ≥50, the cut-point that allows for veteran access to 0% co-pay for VA health-care services.