What are the complications and emerging strategies for preventing depression following traumatic brain injury?
Depression is a common and disabling complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The high rates of post-TBI depression (PTBID) make this condition an important candidate for selective preventive interventions. Areas covered: The authors recently reported on the efficacy of sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), for the prevention of new cases of depression in the first six months after TBI. The authors review this and other studies on preventive strategies in PTBID as ascertained from a PubMed and citation search. The potential complications and barriers to the implementation of pharmacological prevention in patients with TBI are also discussed. Expert commentary: The prevention of depression in patients with TBI has received little attention relative to other medical conditions. Future studies are needed to confirm the benefit of SSRIs and investigate other pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, including in special groups of patients at greater risk of developing PTBID.
a VA South Central Mental Illness Research , Education and Clinical Center , Houston , TX , USA.|b Mental Health Care Line , Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Houston , TX , USA.|c Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA.|d Beth K. and Stuart C. Yudofsky Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA.
Melissa
M
Jones
c Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA.|e Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation , University of Iowa , Iowa , IA , USA.
Laura
L
Acion
b Mental Health Care Line , Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Houston , TX , USA.|c Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA.|d Beth K. and Stuart C. Yudofsky Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA.
Ricardo E
RE
Jorge
D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000150:complications*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use
D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D020280:Sertraline
SSRI; TBI; Traumatic brain injury; depression; depressive disorders; prevention; sertraline