Trajectories of ptsd symptoms following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) - individuals with TBI are at increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (ptsd) which worsens cognitive, behavioral, and…

Baylor Research Institute received a $249,707 Project Grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR, CFDA 93.433) awarded September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028. The grant funds a longitudinal observational study examining posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom trajectories in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) during the 12-month period following injury. The research will enroll 150 adults with TBI and conduct monthly clinical assessments using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) to identify symptom prevalence patterns and trajectory classes. Using latent class growth analysis, investigators will examine associations between PTSD diagnosis and symptom trajectories with demographic and injury-related variables including sex, race, mechanism of injury, TBI severity, intensive care unit admission, and comorbid anxiety and depression symptoms.

The project's deliverables include empirical evidence documenting PTSD symptom progression timing and prevalence rates following TBI to inform future intervention development. Research outputs will include a PTSD and TBI factsheet, peer-reviewed publications, and conference presentations. The research team will partner with an advisory board of individuals with TBI throughout the study to guide research conduct and product development. This exploratory and discovery research aims to establish an evidence base for effectively timed clinical interventions targeting PTSD in the TBI population, ultimately improving cognitive, behavioral, and functional outcomes for affected individuals.

Trajectories of ptsd symptoms following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) - individuals with TBI are at increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (ptsd) which worsens cognitive, behavioral, and functional outcomes. IT is imperative to understand how the course of symptoms changes in the first year following TBI to inform effectively timed interventions. Unfortunately, the current literature is lacking due to inadequate samples, insufficient assessment timing, and study design. Our goal is to conduct a longitudinal observational study examining the trajectories of ptsd symptoms to improve the health and function of individuals who have experienced TBI. Therefore, we aim to assess ptsd symptom prevalence and trajectory classes using a gold standard for ptsd diagnostic interview (caps-5) conducted monthly for 12 months following a TBI in comparison to a validated self-report measure (PCL-5) and examine the associations of ptsd diagnosis and symptom trajectory classes with SEX, race, mechanism of injury, number and severity of TBI(s), ICU admission, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Our objectives are to enroll 150 adults with TBI at least one month from injury and assess their ptsd symptoms monthly for one year. Latent class growth analysis will be used to analyze our hypotheses. Our research team will partner with our advisory board (individuals with TBI) to inform our research conduct and product development which will include a ptsd and TBI factsheet as well as publications and presentations. Ultimately, an expected outcome of our three-year exploratory and discovery research proposal will be to provide an evidence base to inform the development of interventions for ptsd by better understanding symptom progression, timing, and prevalence rates following a TBI.