Cognitive and Emotional-Affective Disorders in Participants of Combat Actions with Traumatic Brain Injury (Review)

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the main threats to the life and health of combatants. The modern paradigm of military affairs leads to a progressive increase in the prevalence of traumatic brain injury among combatants [1]. The symptoms that typically develop in this group of patients may include emotional lability, sleep and memory impairment, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and anger attacks. The origin of these symptoms is discussed: whether it is a manifestation of organic brain damage (diffuse and focal damage to different parts of the brain) or a functional disease (a disorder associated with exposure to a psycho-traumatic situation) [2]. Approaches to solving this issue included a detailed study of the pathogenetic mechanisms of TBI [3], evaluation of the effectiveness of various principles of treatment of post-traumatic encephalopathy [4], studies of the prevalence of depression [5], post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [6], dementia [7], addictions to use of psychoactive substances [8] in traumatic brain injury. At this stage of research in the field of neurotraumatology, it is generally accepted that TBI or its consequences can manifest as psychiatric symptoms. However, we cannot deny the role of other causative factors in the pathogenesis of mental disorders in military personnel, such as heredity, environmental influences, unhealthy lifestyles, and concomitant somatic and neurological diseases. The prevalence of neuropsychological disorders in TBI varies significantly according to literature data, which can potentially be related to different methodologies for assessing psychological indicators and different approaches to the formation of studied groups of patients. The determination of the etiology of psychological symptoms in combatants with TBI is a topic of debate.»It requires further research and can potentially improve approaches to the treatment and rehabilitation of military personnel. Correction of the consequences of a mild TBI is one of the main tasks in the rehabilitation of combatants. Addressing cognitive, behavioral, and emotional disorders can significantly enhance the quality of life for individuals in this patient group.