• Kathleen F Pagulayan, Nancy R Temkin, Joan E Machamer, and Sureyya S Dikmen.
• 1 VA Puget Sound Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center , Seattle, Washington.
• J. Neurotrauma. 2016 Jul 15; 33 (14): 1390-6.

AbstractAlcohol misuse and traumatic brain injury (TBI) frequently co-occur. The negative consequences of this interaction are well documented, but the patterns of long-term post-injury alcohol consumption are less clear. This study examined patterns of alcohol use among 170 adults with a history of complicated mild to severe TBI. Participants were recruited from a Level 1 Trauma Center at the time of their injury and completed evaluations at 1 month, 6 months, 12 months, and 3-5 years post-injury. Pre-injury alcohol use was also assessed at the time of the 1-month assessment. A modified Quantity-Frequency Index of alcohol consumption was then calculated for each time point. The results revealed high levels of pre-injury alcohol consumption, followed by a reduction in consumption at 1-month post-injury. A significant increase in consumption was noted by 6 months post-injury, followed by more gradual increases in alcohol consumption at 1 year. Post-injury alcohol consumption was comparable to the general public at 6 months, 12 months, and 3-5 years post-injury. These results suggest that the first 6 months post-injury may be the critical window of opportunity for alcohol intervention.

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