<p>Impact of traumatic brain injury on sleep: an overview</p>

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global health problem that affects millions of civilians, athletes, and military personnel yearly. Sleeping disorders are one of the underrecognized sequalae even though they affect 46% of individuals with TBI. After a mild TBI, 29% of patients have insomnia, 25% have sleep apnea, 28% have hypersomnia, and 4% have narcolepsy. The type of sleep disturbance may also vary according to the number of TBIs sustained. Diffuse axonal injury within the sleep regulation system, disruption of hormones involved in sleep, and insults to the hypothalamus, brain stem, and reticular activating system are some of the proposed theories for the pathophysiology of sleep disorders after TBI. Genetic and anatomical factors also come to play in the development and severity of these sleeping disorders. Untreated sleep disturbances following TBI can lead to serious consequences with respect to an individual’s cognitive functioning. Initial management focuses on conservative measures with progression to more aggressive options if necessary. Future research should attempt to establish the effectiveness of the treatments currently used, as well as identify manageable co-existing factors that could be exacerbating sleep disorders.

Greater Severity and Functional Impact of Post-Traumatic Headache in Veterans with Comorbid Neck Pain following Traumatic Brain Injury

“…In the TBI population, sleep disturbances are common; occurring in nearly half of individuals, with effects lasting from months to years after the original injury and increasing with injury severity. 40-46 Similar relationships exist in individuals with persistent headaches 47,48 , and even chronic neck pain. 49 As such, it is not surprising that our results reflect that a combination of mTBI, headache, and neck pain produces a more severe phenotype than any given symptom in isolation.…”

Greater Severity and Functional Impact of Post-traumatic Headache in Veterans With Comorbid Neck Pain Following Traumatic Brain Injury

“…In the TBI population, sleep disturbances are common; occurring in nearly half of individuals, with effects lasting from months to years after the original injury and increasing with injury severity. [40][41][42][43][44][45][46] Similar relationships exist in individuals with persistent headaches 47,48 , and even chronic neck pain. 49 As such, it is not surprising that our results reflect that a combination of mTBI, headache, and neck pain produces a more severe phenotype than any given symptom in isolation.…”

Treatments for sleep disturbances in individuals with acquired brain injury: A systematic review

“…[2][3][4] Up to a third of the persons with acquired brain injury experience insomnia, which is defined as an inability to sleep, particularly associated with problems of falling asleep and maintaining sleep. [5][6][7] Since many studies did not diagnose sleep complaints as sleep disorders, this review focuses on sleep disturbances refering to sleep problems that occur at night and are characterized by the inability to initiate and maintain sleep. Several studies have reported a poorer sleep quality and a reduced sleep efficiency (ratio of time spent asleep compared with time spent in bed) due to more frequent awakenings at night.…”