An observational cohort study of alcohol use and cognitive difficulties among post-9/11 veterans with and without TBI and PTSD

Background

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcohol use are highly prevalent among military Veterans and independently associated with cognitive difficulties; less is known about the combined effects. This study aimed to investigate the association between alcohol use patterns and cognitive diagnoses in Veterans with TBI and/or PTSD.

Methods

Using electronic health record data,193,663 Veterans were classified into three alcohol use trajectory groups (consistently low, initially high transitioning to low, initially moderate transitioning to high) based on self-reported Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-C (AUDIT-C) scores. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between alcohol use patterns, TBI, PTSD, and the risk of cognitive diagnosis, while adjusting for demographic factors and comorbidities.

Results

Veterans with initially high transitioning to low (HR = 1.21, 95 % CI: 1.11–1.31) and initially moderate transitioning to high (HR = 1.42, 95 % CI: 1.33–1.51) alcohol use patterns had a significantly greater risk of cognitive diagnosis compared to those with consistently low alcohol use when accounting for TBI, PTSD, and comorbidities. TBI (HR = 5.40, 95 % CI: 5.06–5.76) and PTSD (HR = 2.42, 95 % CI: 2.25–2.61) were also independently associated with an elevated risk of cognitive diagnosis.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that Higher levels of alcohol consumption, even if decreasing over time, may confer an increased risk of cognitive diagnosis for Veterans with TBI and/or PTSD. Long-term alcohol use patterns should be considered in clinical assessments and interventions to identify individuals at greater risk for experiencing cognitive difficulties.