Traumatic brain injury related changes in military veterans
Research type
Research Study
Full title
UNTANGLE: Understanding how TBI-related changes in fluid biomarkers affect quality of life outcomes in veterans
IRAS ID
324684
Contact name
Zubair Ahmed
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results from a violent blow or jolt to the head and occurs most commonly from motor vehicle collisions, falls and interpersonal violence. Military personnel are at high risk of TBI and in recent conflicts, UK military personnel sustained TBI caused by improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades and gunshot wounds. Most people affected had mild TBI (mTBI), which has emerged as a signature injury in military personnel (one that defines the consequences of the conflict on the soldiers involved). The symptoms of mTBI include memory problems, confusion and disorientation, problems articulating words, headache, dizziness and problems seeing. The problems often resolve soon after injury, but occasionally can last for a long time after the initial TBI. Worryingly however, 1 in 5 people go onto to develop mental health problems within 12 months after TBI with 75% experiencing mental health problems within 5 years. This suggests that the initial TBI results in permanent brain damage causing mental health issues. In this project we aim to understand the changes that occur after TBI in military veterans and correlate these with blood tests, saliva biomarkers, changes in vision, clinical assessments of mental health and patient reported outcomes for quality-of-life that encompass daily living and mood. This approach offers a comprehensive way of capturing data on multiple systems affected by TBI and allows us to monitor patient progression over time and pinpoint the changes that determine long-term outcomes in veterans. This research will benefit not only the veteran population but also civilians suffering TBI, in helping to diagnose their symptoms early and to be able to put in place management options, including drug interventions that will improve the lives of veterans.
REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/NW/0203
Date of REC Opinion
10 Aug 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion