Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its associated neural and cognitive sequelae are of increasing interest in military populations. Blast-related TBI is becoming more commonplace in military Service Members and Veterans since Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation New Dawn and their following conflicts. It is currently unclear whether blast-related injuries cause unique neural and cognitive deficits. The present investigation, in Study 1, aims to investigate the differences in blast-related and non-blast related TBI using traditional statistical techniques. In Study 2, this study will demonstrate the use of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) in diffusion tensor imaging data. QCA is a relatively new technique that examines configurations of variables that lead to a predefined outcome. QCA has the ability to uncover configurations of variables not yet considered in empirical literature, which may contribute new perspectives on the many different variables often associated with brain injury. Study 1 demonstrated no significant differences between uninjured and injured subjects in white matter integrity, and no differences between blast-related and non-blast related mechanisms. Study 2 demonstrated limited support for the use of QCA in diffusion tensor imaging. Evidence for the use of this method in other neuroimaging modalities is reviewed

Degree

PhD

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Psychology

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2020-07-30

Document Type

Dissertation

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd11410

Keywords

Traumatic brain injury, military, blast-related TBI, Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Language

English

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