TBI Injuries Increase The Risk Of Drug Abuse

First Posted: Nov 26, 2014 07:50 PM EST
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Teenagers who have dealt with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are more likely than peers to abuse drugs and alcohol, according to recent findings published in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation.

For the study, researchers examined data on 6,383 teens from grades nine to 12, with data taken from the 2011 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS).

"Overall, a teen with a history of TBI is at least twice as likely as a classmate who hasn't suffered a brain injury to drink alcohol, use cannabis or abuse other drugs," said study investigator, Dr. Michael Cusimano, a neurosurgeon at St. Michael's Hospital and a researcher with the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, in a news release. "But when you look at specific drugs, those rates are often higher."

Findings revealed that those with a TBI history were about 3.8 times more likely to have used crystal meth or non-prescribed sedatives when compared to teens who did not suffer from TBI. Teens who dealt with TBI were also 2.8 times more likely to use Ecstasy, 2.7 times more likely to use non-prescription opioid painkillers and 2.6 times more likely to use hallucinogens. The likelihood of using other illegal drugs was also higher.

"In terms of our research, the next step is to get a better understanding of the direction of these behaviours and to hopefully pinpoint when and how this relationship starts," concluded Dr. Robert Mann, co-principal investigator of the study, senior scientist at CAMH and director of the OSDUHS.

A TBI was defined as any hit to the head that resulted in loss of consciousness for at least five minutes.

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