Deployed US military service members with concussion commonly have comorbid conditions that may influence their clinical course and overall recovery, according to study results published in Headache. Results revealed that headache was the most frequently reported acute symptom after concussion, which occurred in 38 (95%) of the service members. After headache, the most frequently reported symptoms were insomnia (n=33; 82.5%), impaired concentration (n=25; 62.5%), and tinnitus (n=24; 63% with 2 unreported), followed by impaired memory, nausea, dizziness, irritability, anxiety, impaired balance, acute stress, depression, hearing loss, and visual symptoms.
The most frequent co-occurring conditions identified as potentially contributing to clinical presentation were concurrent injuries, anxiety and/or depression, painkiller overuse, and acute stress reaction. The most frequent chronic comorbidities identified were chronic headache, history of more than 2 recurrent concussions, anxiety and/or depression, longstanding insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, painkiller overuse, and severe musculoskeletal pain.