Troops who suffer concussions caused by blast or blunt trauma are more likely to suffer residual symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a new study by the University of Pittsburgh.
Researchers say its the largest study of its kind, with 27,169 soldiers from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command participating.
According to the research:
[P]ersonnel reported clinical levels of PTSD symptoms in 12 percent of concussions from blunt trauma, 23 percent from blast trauma and 31 percent from combination blast-blunt trauma.
By contrast, only 6 percent of those who experienced clinical PTSD had never been diagnosed with a concussion. PTSD reactions were more likely as concussions increased: in 22 percent of personnel after one blast concussion, 29 percent after two and 34 percent after three.
