Factors Associated with the Development of Persistent Pain after mTBI

Persistent pain after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is widely experienced, yet little is known about who is at risk for experiencing persistent pain after their injury.

The purpose of this study was to 1) determine if there are factors associated with later experiencing persistent pain after mTBI and 2) examine if there are symptom patterns associated with the experience of persistent pain.

Secondary analysis was conducted using de-identified data from an NIH-funded longitudinal study.SettingsParticipants were enrolled in the emergency department.

Participants were aged 21 to 92 and all had experienced mTBI.

We examined baseline characteristics, symptoms, and injury related variables associated with the endorsement of persistent pain among those with mTBI (N = 183) from baseline to 6 months post-injury. In order to identify a persistent pain phenotype, exploratory factor analysis was used to determine which symptoms co-occur with persistent pain.

Persistent pain was found in 78% of those with mTBI. Those with lower overall health status at day 7 and at 1-month following injury had greater odds of developing persistent pain. Those with higher levels of general health status and physical function health status at day 7 and 1 month, and those with higher levels of overall health related status at 1 month had significantly lesser odds of persistent pain at 6 months. Factor analysis revealed that persistent pain and co-occurring symptoms (anxiety, depression, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, sleep disturbance, poor memory, poor concentration, longer to think and light sensitivity) loaded on one factor, indicating that these symptoms are associated.

Those at increased risk for persistent pain should be screened beginning early in the recovery trajectory to reduce their risk of developing persistent pain. Identification of a phenotype offers potential for recognition of symptoms that cluster with persistent pain, improving the ability to treat patients more holistically, and develop interventions to support recovery from injury.