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Published on: November 29, 2024
Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Older Veterans with Acute Traumatic Brain Injury: A Longitudinal
Phiroz E Tarapore1,2,3, Mikaila J Cutone-Dion1,2,3, Domenico H Lombardi2,3
1San Francisco Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, San Francisco, California, USA.
Neurotrauma Reports
|August 1, 2026
Summary
Older veterans face a growing crisis with acute traumatic brain injury (TBI), experiencing worse outcomes and higher dementia risk. This study characterizes TBI in this population to guide future interventions and improve recovery.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Public Health
Background:
- Acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant public health concern for older veterans within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
- Older adults exhibit increased mortality, reduced functional recovery, and a higher risk of dementia following TBI.
- Pre-existing conditions common in older veterans, such as prior TBI, medical/psychiatric issues, and substance use, are associated with worse TBI outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the military, clinical, and biological features of acute TBI in older veterans.
- To inform the development of effective interventions aimed at optimizing outcomes for this demographic.
- To establish a comprehensive understanding of the unique characteristics and natural history of TBI in older veterans.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal, observational study enrolling 70 older veterans with acute TBI and 30 matched controls at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.
- Utilized TBI common data elements (CDEs) and validated geriatric/dementia assessments for pre-injury and longitudinal follow-up (2 weeks to 12 months).
- Collected blood for proteomic biomarkers and performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at multiple time points.
Main Results:
- The study aims for comprehensive characterization of baseline and longitudinal endophenotypes in a heterogeneous, real-world population of older veterans with acute TBI.
- Findings will provide critical insights into the unique characteristics and natural history of TBI in older veterans.
- This research will inform future studies focused on optimizing TBI outcomes and evaluating interventions.
Conclusions:
- There is an urgent need to characterize acute TBI in older veterans to develop targeted interventions.
- This study provides foundational data for understanding TBI in older veterans, informing prevention and diagnosis.
- Results will pave the way for larger, multicenter studies to optimize short- and long-term recovery from TBI.
