Mild Brain Injury

Abstract

The risk of developing an addiction to alcohol, tobacco, or drugs increases in the period immediately following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) but decreases over time, new research shows. The historical prospective study showed that in the short-term, individuals with mTBI had a significantly increased risk for alcohol dependence, nicotine dependence, and nondependent abuse of drugs or alcohol compared with a similarly injured non-mTBI comparison group. "Our findings suggest an increased risk for incidence of alcohol dependence, nondependent abuse of drugs or alcohol, and nicotine dependence during the first 30 days following mild TBI and a risk thereafter for alcohol dependence for at least 6 months after injury," the authors, led by Shannon C. Miller, MD, from the Veterans Affairs Medical Centre, Cincinnati, Ohio, write.