Risk for Affective, Behavioral Disorders Increased in Children After mTBI

Significantly higher adjusted risks seen for affective disorders across three years after injury

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) — The risk for a new affective or behavioral disorder is increased in children up to four years after sustaining mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), according to a study published online Jan. 25 in Pediatrics.

Richard L. Delmonico, Ph.D., from Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center in California, and colleagues conducted a cohort study of mTBI cases (17 years of age and younger; diagnosed from 2000 to 2014) and matched controls within an integrated health care system. The analyses included 18,917 cases and 37,834 controls, randomly selected and matched for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and date of medical visit.

The researchers found that across the first three years after injury, adjusted risks for affective disorders were significantly higher for the mTBI group, especially during the second year (34 percent increase in risk). At years 2 and 4, the adjusted risks for behavioral disorders were significant, with up to a 37 percent increase in risk. The risk for postinjury affective and behavioral disorders was highest among 10- to 13-year-old patients.

“Sustaining mTBI significantly increased the risk of having a new affective or behavioral disorder up to four years after injury,” the authors write. “Initial and ongoing screening for affective and behavior disorders after mTBI in children and adolescents can identify persistent conditions that may pose barriers to recovery.”