Clinical correlates of aggressive behavior after traumatic brain injury

Abstract

The authors assessed aggressive behavior in 89 patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 26 patients with multiple trauma but without TBI using a quantitative scale (the Overt Aggression Scale) and examined its clinical correlates. Aggressive behavior was found in 33.7% of TBI patients and 11.5% of patients without TBI during the first 6 months after injury. Aggressive behavior was significantly associated with the presence of major depression, frontal lobe lesions, poor premorbid social functioning, and a history of alcohol and substance abuse. Interventions aimed at treatment of depression and substance abuse and enhancing social support may help reduce the severity of this disruptive behavior.