Identifying Factors Associated with Post-Traumatic brain injury Depression: The Role of Inflammatory Markers

Abstract

Background Depression is a common emotional and psychiatric complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that has significant negative impacts on patient recovery. Despite the importance of identifying and treating depression in TBI patients, there is currently no simple and standardized system available for assessing the likelihood of post-TBI depression. In this study we are aim to explore the clinical value of peripheral blood inflammatory markers in predicting mental disorders after TBI. Methods A total of 67 TBI patients in this study were included and divided them into Group A (depression group) or Group B (non-depression group) based on the presence or absence of concomitant psychiatric disorders. We collected relevant clinical data and inflammatory markers from both groups to identify factors influencing post-TBI depression and analyzed their diagnostic efficacy and correlations. Results The overall prevalence of mental disorders among TBI patients was found to be 64.18% at the three-month follow-up after injury. Our study revealed that intracranial infection was an independent factor influencing the occurrence of post-TBI depression (OR = 19.873, 95%CI = 6.721 ~ 58.764, P = 0.001). Patients who developed post-TBI depression had significantly higher levels of white blood cells(WBCs), neutrophil percentage, C-reactive protein (CRP), and monocyte levels compared to non-depressed TBI patients. Additionally, WBCs (Pearson = 0.735,P = 0.001), neutrophil percentage (Pearson = 0.742, P = 0.001), and CRP (Pearson = 0.556, P = 0.001) levels were positively correlated with depression severity in TBI patients. Conclusions Our findings suggest a high prevalence of post-TBI depression and highlight peripheral inflammatory markers such as WBCs, neutrophil percentage, and CRP levels as potential early diagnostic indicators for this condition. Identifying these factors can facilitate early diagnosis and intervention for post-TBI depression, improving patient outcomes. This study provides evidence for clinicians to develop effective treatment strategies for post-TBI depression and advance our understanding of its mechanisms.