Understanding the impact of mild traumatic brain injury on veteran service-connected disability: results from Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium

ABSTRACTObjectives: Disability evaluation is complex. The association between mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) history and VA service-connected disability (SCD) ratings can have implications for disability processes in the civilian population. We examined the association of VA SCD ratings with lifetime mTBI exposure in three models: any mTBI, total mTBI number, and blast-related mTBI.Methods: Participants were 492 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn veterans from four US VA Medical Centers enrolled in the Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium study between January 2015 and August 2016. Analyses entailed standard covariate-adjusted linear regression models, accounting for demographic, military, and health-related confounders and covariates.Results: Unadjusted and adjusted results indicated lifetime mTBI was significantly associated with increased SCD, with the largest effect observed for blast-related mTBI. Every unit increase in mTBI was associated with an increase ...