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Defense Department Told To Study Brain Injuries In Troops

Posted on: Friday, 5 December 2008, 07:40 CST

According to researchers, many of the troops who suffer brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan may have long-term health problems such as depression and Alzheimer’s.  

Twenty-two percent of wounded troops suffer a brain injury according to an Institute of Medicine report.  The report recommended steps for studying how these soldiers fare years after their service.

The report was requested by the Veterans Affairs Department and the Pentagon has already begun to take some of the recommended steps.  

"I don't think we really knew how big a hole in scientific knowledge there is about blast-induced brain injuries," said Dr. George Rutherford, the report’s lead researcher.

TBI, or traumatic brain injury, has become a common injury of the war in Iraq.  The injuries can range from mild concussions to more severe brain damage.  Many troops do not seek care because symptoms are not immediately apparent.

"If you have a gunshot wound to some specific part of your brain, I can tell you the consequences," Rutherford said . Blast concussions are another story.  There is no way to say "if you have six of these, are you six times more likely to have something bad happen to you than if you've had one?"

Many returning soldiers suffer from dizziness, headaches, memory loss, confusion, insomnia, and depression.  According to the military, most recover with treatment.

"There's clearly a whole bunch of people who have mild TBI who have no negative outcomes," Rutherford said.

Rutherford and his team examined many civilian injuries and found that moderate-to-severe TBI is linked to higher risks of Alzheimer’s-like dementia, symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, seizures, and problems with social functioning.

They also discovered that TBI is generally linked to depression, aggression and can cause loss of consciousness or amnesia.

The report recommended that soldiers who have been exposed to a blast be tested for TBI symptoms, and that soldiers receive a pre- and post- deployment brain exam.  The military has already started employing these steps.

Rutherford and his team also urged the Defense Department to conduct studies of TBI patients to find long-term risks.


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On The Net:

U.S. Defense Department

Alzheimer’s Disease

Source: redOrbit staff

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