Post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury

The co-existence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) has rarely been reported. It has been hypothesized that this co-morbidity is unusual since amnesia for the traumatic event would be protective against the development of PTSD. In this paper, we present seven individuals who developed the full syndrome of PTSD after TBI. We discuss the clinical features that are characteristic of PTSD and not commonly found in those individuals who have TBI without PTSD. We believe that this comorbidity is not uncommon, and can be detected with a thorough psychiatric evaluation.