Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury : comorbid clinical outcomes in the Middle East and North Africa Region

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability worldwide affecting the general population as well as military personnel. Specifically, of interest to us is mild TBI (mTBI), which represents ~75percent of all TBI cases, and is often accompanied by a number of neurobehavioral-neuropsychological comorbidities including depression, anxiety, substance abuse as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Several elements are shared and overlap between PTSD and mTBI related to post-concussion events that can be delineated on the molecular, cellular and clinical-behavioral levels, and considerable evidence suggests that mTBI can increase the risk of PTSD occurrence. The tendency for this increased risk is related to mTBI-induced stress and inflammatory conditions at the molecular and behavioral levels. In this report, we will provide a general overview on TBI and PTSD, specifically on how mTBI may predispose, and is often accompanied by, PTSD. Furthermore, as Lebanon is considered a consistent battleground often featuring war and injury, we will also shed light on the impact of these two conditions on the Lebanese population, as well as in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Finally, we will also briefly highlight the gap in the knowledge and lack of research in Lebanon and the MENA region about this particular subject, and how treatment options of these two conditions might be advanced if more studies and investigations were to be conducted.