About this Research Topic

Background

Each year, millions of persons worldwide suffer mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI), sometimes with long-lasting symptoms. At present, the critical neurobiology of mild TBI remains poorly understood and effective therapeutic options are sparse. Psychiatric consequences/comorbidities of TBI like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are especially problematic with the presence of even an only mild TBI increasing the risk of developing PTSD following a traumatic event. There is a pressing need to understand how TBI and PTSD relate to each other from both biological and treatment perspectives.

The primary goal of the Research Topic is to educate the general audience (and especially psychiatrists) on the overlapping neurobiology of TBI and PTSD. Such understanding may help to optimize current and new therapeutic approaches, because the presence of TBI impacts the treatment of co-morbid PTSD, and vice-versa. This goal will hopefully be achieved through a series of reviews and primary research articles on the neurobiology of these conditions in isolation and combination. Of particular interest will be neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies, especially concerning how effective pharmacological, cognitive behavioral, and even psychotherapeutic therapeutic approaches impact brain structure and function.

We welcome the submission of a range of types of manuscripts (research article, brief research article, mini-review, review, case report, opinion, perspective, etc..) focusing on, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Theme I: Independent and Shared Neurobiology of TBI and PTSD
o Imaging, physiological, and behavioral biomarkers

• Theme II: Current and Novel Treatment Approaches
o Brain plasticity and the impact of treatment of brain structure and function

Keywords: Traumatic Brain Injury, PTSD, Neurobiology, Treatment, Imaging

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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