Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37312064›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2023

Neuro-psychiatric symptoms in directly and indirectly blast exposed civilian survivors of urban missile attacks.

R Saar-Ashkenazy, S Naparstek, Y Dizitzer, N Zimhoni, A Friedman, I Shelef, H Cohen, H Shalev, L Oxman, V Novack and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Blast Injuries.Advances and technical standards in neurosurgery · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

R Saar-AshkenazyFaculty of Social-Work, Ashkelon Academic College, 12 Ben Tzvi St, PO Box 9071, 78211, Ashkelon, Israel. saar.rotem@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-8098-1771
S NaparstekDepartment of Psychology Ben-Gurion, University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Y DizitzerClinical Research Center, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
N ZimhoniClinical Research Center, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
A FriedmanDepartment of Cognitive-Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
I ShelefZlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
H CohenAnxiety and Stress Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ministry of Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
H ShalevDepartment of Psychiatry, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
L OxmanClinical Research Center, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
V NovackClinical Research Center, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
G IferganeDepartment of Neurology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Soroka Medical Center · ILBen-Gurion University of the Negev · IL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBlast-explosion may cause traumatic brain injury (TBI), leading to post-concussion syndrome (PCS). In studies on military personnel, PCS symptoms are highly similar to those occurring in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), questioning the overlap between these syndromes. In the current study we assessed PCS and PTSD in civilians following exposure to rocket attacks. We hypothesized that PCS symptomatology and brain connectivity will be associated with the objective physical exposure, while PTSD symptomatology will be associated with the subjective mental experience.

methodsTwo hundred eighty nine residents of explosion sites have participated in the current study. Participants completed self-report of PCS and PTSD. The association between objective and subjective factors of blast and clinical outcomes was assessed using multivariate analysis. White-matter (WM) alterations and cognitive abilities were assessed in a sub-group of participants (n = 46) and non-exposed controls (n = 16). Non-parametric analysis was used to compare connectivity and cognition between the groups.

resultsBlast-exposed individuals reported higher PTSD and PCS symptomatology. Among exposed individuals, those who were directly exposed to blast, reported higher levels of subjective feeling of danger and presented WM hypoconnectivity. Cognitive abilities did not differ between groups. Several risk factors for the development of PCS and PTSD were identified.

conclusionsCivilians exposed to blast present higher PCS/PTSD symptomatology as well as WM hypoconnectivity. Although symptoms are sub-clinical, they might lead to the future development of a full-blown syndrome and should be considered carefully. The similarities between PCS and PTSD suggest that despite the different etiology, namely, the physical trauma in PCS and the emotional trauma in PTSD, these are not distinct syndromes, but rather represent a combined biopsychological disorder with a wide spectrum of behavioral, emotional, cognitive and neurological symptoms.

Indexed as

Brain Injuries, TraumaticNeurologyStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticExplosionsHumansSyndromeBlastDTIPCSPTSDTBI/mTBI

Identifiers

PMID37312064
PMCPMC10262527
OpenAlexW4380577182

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.