Head Trauma Mechanisms and Neuroimaging Findings in Psychiatric Inpatients Referred for Neurosurgical Consultation


Aydin I., ÇEKİÇ E., Kef B., Gokceli A., Gok E., Cevik O. M., ...Daha Fazla

Diagnostics, cilt.16, sa.14, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 16 Sayı: 14
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3390/diagnostics16142265
  • Dergi Adı: Diagnostics
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, EMBASE, Directory of Open Access Journals, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO)
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: assault, head trauma, neuroimaging, neurosurgical consultation, psychiatric inpatients, self-harm, trauma mechanisms
  • Hacettepe Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Background: Psychiatric inpatients may be vulnerable to head trauma; however, associations among psychiatric diagnosis, trauma mechanisms, and acute trauma-related neuroimaging findings among patients requiring neurosurgical consultation remain unclear. Methods: This retrospective observational study included psychiatric inpatients referred for neurosurgical consultation after head trauma at a tertiary neuropsychiatric specialty hospital between July 2022 and December 2025. Psychiatric diagnoses were grouped into psychotic, mood, substance use, organic/symptomatic, and other disorders. Trauma mechanisms were classified as falls, self-harm, assault/fight-related injuries, and other trauma types. Radiological findings were classified as trauma-related abnormalities or secondary incidental findings, including age-related changes. Associations were evaluated using chi-square tests, with false discovery rate correction applied to global and binary comparisons. Exploratory multivariable regression models were used as sensitivity analyses. Results: The cohort comprised 461 psychiatric inpatients who sustained head trauma, underwent radiological imaging, and were referred for neurosurgical consultation. Trauma mechanisms differed significantly across psychiatric diagnostic groups (χ2 = 30.89, p = 0.002). Falls were the most common mechanism (189/461, 41.0%). Assault/fight-related trauma showed the clearest diagnosis-associated pattern (χ2 = 19.72, p < 0.001, Cramér’s V = 0.207) and remained the only significant binary outcome after false discovery rate correction. Acute trauma-related imaging findings were observed in 35 patients (7.6%) and were not associated with psychiatric diagnosis (χ2 = 6.16, p = 0.187). Calcifications were the most frequent imaging finding (191/461, 41.4%). Conclusions: In psychiatric inpatients, while head trauma patterns and neuroimaging findings have the potential to be explained by psychiatric diagnoses, they may also reflect unmeasured behavioral and clinical factors.