Consistency of memory for combat-related traumatic events in veterans of Operation Desert Storm

Southwick, Steven M.; Morgan, Charles A.; Nicolaou, Andreas L.; Charney, Dennis S.

doi:10.1176/ajp.154.2.173

Cited by 324 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…The validity and reliability of a number of self-reported military-related factors have been evaluated by several studies, usually in comparison to data from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Manpower Data Center, and been characterized as ranging from “moderate” (e.g., κ = 0.41–0.60) to “almost perfect” (e.g., κ > 0.80) (Bramsen et al, 2001; Horner et al, 2003; Janes et al, 1991; LeardMann et al, 2007; Mahan, 2004; Roemer et al, 1998; Smith et al, 2007a; Smith et al, 2007b; Smith et al, 2007c; Southwick et al, 1997). Military-related factors evaluated in validity studies included deployment status and frequency, number, and start dates of deployment(s) (Horner et al, 2003; Smith et al, 2007b); occupational titles (Smith et al, 2007c); and anthrax (LeardMann et al, 2007; Smith et al, 2007a) or smallpox vaccination (Mahan, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Military-related factors evaluated in validity studies included deployment status and frequency, number, and start dates of deployment(s) (Horner et al, 2003; Smith et al, 2007b); occupational titles (Smith et al, 2007c); and anthrax (LeardMann et al, 2007; Smith et al, 2007a) or smallpox vaccination (Mahan, 2004). Reliability studies evaluated combat-related experiences, exposures, or traumatic events (Bramsen et al, 2001; Janes et al, 1991; Roemer et al, 1998; Southwick et al, 1997) and exposure indices created by summing or averaging participants’ responses for individual items (Bramsen et al, 2001; Janes et al, 1991; Roemer et al, 1998; Southwick et al, 1997). None of these studies, however, were able to assess the validity or reliability of self-reported military-related factors extending back to WWII (the longest time between exposure and exposure assessment in these studies was about 10 years (Horner et al, 2003)) or whether the quality of self-report varied by war or time period.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Military service, deployments, and exposures in relation to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis etiology

Beard

Engel

Richardson

et al. 2016

Environment International

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Background Factors underlying a possible excess of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) among military veterans remain unidentified. Limitations of previous studies on this topic include reliance on ALS mortality as a surrogate for ALS incidence, low statistical power, and sparse information on military-related factors. Objectives We evaluated associations between military-related factors and ALS using data from a case-control study of U.S. military veterans. Methods From 2005 to 2010, we identified medical record-confirmed ALS cases via the National Registry of Veterans with ALS and controls via the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Beneficiary Identification and Records Locator System database. In total, we enrolled 621 cases and 958 frequency-matched controls in the Genes and Environmental Exposures in Veterans with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis study. We collected information on military service and deployments and 39 related exposures. We used unconditional logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We used inverse probability weighting to adjust for potential bias from confounding, missing covariate data, and selection arising from a case group that disproportionately included long-term survivors and a control group that may or may not differ from U.S. military veterans at large. Results The odds of ALS did not differ for veterans of the Air Force, Army, Marines, and Navy. We found higher odds of ALS for veterans whose longest deployment was World War II or the Korean War and a positive trend with total years of all deployments (OR = 1.27; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.52). ALS was positively associated with exposure to herbicides for military purposes, nasopharyngeal radium, personal pesticides, exhaust from heaters or generators, high-intensity radar waves, contaminated food, explosions within one mile, herbicides in the field, mixing and application of burning agents, burning agents in the field, and Agent Orange in the field, with ORs between 1.50 and 7.75. Conclusions Although our results need confirmation, they are potentially important given the large number of U.S. military veterans, and they provide clues to potential factors underlying the apparent increase of ALS in veteran populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Military service, deployments, and exposures in relation to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis etiology

Beard

Engel

Richardson

et al. 2016

Environment International

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“…Ideally, however, given that current symptomatology may bias recall of early life stressors (e.g. Southwick et al 1997), prospective longitudinal, rather than retrospective studies would be needed to more conclusively establish the link between early life stress and structural brain abnormalities, ideally complementing self-report measures of stressors with more ‘objective’ measures (e.g. assessments of stress hormones).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal cortex and thalamus as a function of mild depressive symptoms: a voxel-based morphometric analysis

et al. 2014

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Background Studies investigating structural brain abnormalities in depression have typically employed a categorical rather than dimensional approach to depression [i.e. comparing subjects with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-defined major depressive disorder (MDD) v. healthy controls]. The National Institute of Mental Health, through their Research Domain Criteria initiative, has encouraged a dimensional approach to the study of psychopathology as opposed to an over-reliance on categorical (e.g. DSM-based) diagnostic approaches. Moreover, subthreshold levels of depressive symptoms (i.e. severity levels below DSM criteria) have been found to be associated with a range of negative outcomes, yet have been relatively neglected in neuroimaging research. Method To examine the extent to which depressive symptoms – even at subclinical levels – are linearly related to gray matter volume reductions in theoretically important brain regions, we employed whole-brain voxel-based morphometry in a sample of 54 participants. Results The severity of mild depressive symptoms, even in a subclinical population, was associated with reduced gray matter volume in the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, thalamus, superior temporal gyrus/temporal pole and superior frontal gyrus. A conjunction analysis revealed concordance across two separate measures of depression. Conclusions Reduced gray matter volume in theoretically important brain regions can be observed even in a sample that does not meet DSM criteria for MDD, but who nevertheless report relatively elevated levels of depressive symptoms. Overall, these findings highlight the need for additional research using dimensional conceptual and analytic approaches, as well as further investigation of subclinical populations.

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“…[91-93] We have addressed this recall biases critique in our longitudinal study of Bosnian refugees using measurements that were also applied in this study [94] and suspect that there was an underreporting of all events over-time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The mental health sequelae of traumatic head injury in South Vietnamese ex-political detainees who survived torture

Mollica

Chernoff

Berthold

et al. 2014

Comprehensive Psychiatry

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Little is known about the relationship between traumatic head injury (THI) and psychiatric morbidity in torture survivors. We examine the relationship between THI and depression, PTSD, post-concussive syndrome (PCS), disability and poor health status in Vietnamese ex-political detainees who survived incarceration in Vietnamese re-education camps. A community sample of ex-political detainees (n=337) and a non-THI, non-ex-detainee comparison group (n=82) were surveyed. 78% of the ex-political detainees had experienced THI. 90.6% of the ex-political detainees and 3.6% of the comparison group had experienced 7 or more trauma events. Depression and PTSD were greater in ex-detainees than the comparison group (40.9% vs 23.2% and 13.4% vs 0%). Dose-effect relationships for THI and trauma/torture in the ex-political detainee group were significant. Logistic regression in the pooled sample of ex-detainees and the comparison group confirmed the independent impact of THI from trauma/torture on psychiatric morbidity (OR for PTSD=22.4; 95% CI: 3.0-165.8). These results demonstrate important effects of THI on depression and PTSD in Vietnamese ex-detainees who have survived torture.

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Consistency of memory for combat-related traumatic events in veterans of Operation Desert Storm

Cited by 324 publications

References 31 publications

Military service, deployments, and exposures in relation to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis etiology

Military service, deployments, and exposures in relation to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis etiology

Reduced gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal cortex and thalamus as a function of mild depressive symptoms: a voxel-based morphometric analysis

The mental health sequelae of traumatic head injury in South Vietnamese ex-political detainees who survived torture

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