title: Factors associated with inconsistency in self-reported mild traumatic brain injury over time among military personnel in Iraq.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Estimates of the prevalence of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) among military personnel and combat veterans rely almost exclusively on retrospective self-reports; however, reliability of these reports has received little attention.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the consistency of reporting of mTBI over time and identify factors associated with inconsistent reporting.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal cohort of 948 US National Guard Soldiers deployed to Iraq completed self-report questionnaire screening for mTBI and psychological symptoms while in-theatre 1 month before returning home (time 1, T1) and 1 year later (time 2, T2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most respondents (n = 811, 85.5%) were consistent in their reporting of mTBI across time. Among those who were inconsistent in their reports (n = 137, 14.5%), the majority denied mTBI at T1 and affirmed mTBI at T2 (n = 123, 89.8%). Respondents rarely endorsed mTBI in-theatre and later denied mTBI (n = 14, 10.2% of those with inconsistent reports). Post-deployment post-traumatic stress symptoms and non-specific physical complaints were significantly associated with inconsistent report of mTBI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Military service members' self-reports of mTBI are generally consistent over time; however, inconsistency in retrospective self-reporting of mTBI status is associated with current post-traumatic stress symptoms and non-specific physical health complaints.
authors.affiliation: Nathaniel W. Nelson, PhD, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of St. Thomas and Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Carolyn R. Anderson, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul Thuras, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Shannon M. Kehle-Forbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul A. Arbisi, PhD, Christopher R. Erbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Melissa A. Polusny, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Nathaniel W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: Nathaniel W. Nelson, PhD, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of St. Thomas and Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Carolyn R. Anderson, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul Thuras, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Shannon M. Kehle-Forbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul A. Arbisi, PhD, Christopher R. Erbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Melissa A. Polusny, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Carolyn R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Nathaniel W. Nelson, PhD, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of St. Thomas and Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Carolyn R. Anderson, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul Thuras, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Shannon M. Kehle-Forbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul A. Arbisi, PhD, Christopher R. Erbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Melissa A. Polusny, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thuras
authors.affiliation: Nathaniel W. Nelson, PhD, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of St. Thomas and Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Carolyn R. Anderson, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul Thuras, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Shannon M. Kehle-Forbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul A. Arbisi, PhD, Christopher R. Erbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Melissa A. Polusny, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Shannon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kehle-Forbes
authors.affiliation: Nathaniel W. Nelson, PhD, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of St. Thomas and Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Carolyn R. Anderson, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul Thuras, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Shannon M. Kehle-Forbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul A. Arbisi, PhD, Christopher R. Erbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Melissa A. Polusny, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Arbisi
authors.affiliation: Nathaniel W. Nelson, PhD, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of St. Thomas and Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Carolyn R. Anderson, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul Thuras, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Shannon M. Kehle-Forbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul A. Arbisi, PhD, Christopher R. Erbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Melissa A. Polusny, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Erbes
authors.affiliation: Nathaniel W. Nelson, PhD, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of St. Thomas and Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Carolyn R. Anderson, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul Thuras, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Shannon M. Kehle-Forbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Paul A. Arbisi, PhD, Christopher R. Erbes, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Melissa A. Polusny, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Polusny
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003717:Denial, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult