New Research Examines Concussion in Military

February 17, 2009

Research from the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), www.dvbic.org, indicates as many as 10 to 20 percent of U.S. troops who had combat exposure may have sustained a concussion during the time they were deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The possibility that a significant number of military personnel may have had a brain injury while deployed there has made the identification and treatment of returning service members with related symptoms a top priority for policy makers. The Department of Defense has instituted screening for concussion in these service members.

The finding on concussions is one of many described in eight articles by DVBIC researchers published in the January/February special edition of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation www.headtraumarehab.com. The special edition is devoted to traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the military. Concussions are also known as mild TBI.

“By reporting on its research through articles in medical journals, the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center is sharing important information with other health professionals to help us better serve warriors who have done so much to courageously serve our nation,” said Army Brig. Gen. Loree K. Sutton, director of DCoE. DVBIC is the primary operational TBI component of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) www.dcoe.health.mil.

In his prefatory article, Louis M. French, Psy.D. DVBIC principal investigator and TBI director at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, writes: “In short, the issue provides readers a sense of some of the relevant issues and pressing concerns related to TBI in a military population, as well as some of the larger political influences that affect care delivery and research.”

French writes that more than 1.6 million Americans have been deployed for service in Afghanistan and Iraq. These conflicts have resulted in more than 4,800 deaths and 32,000 injuries to service members.

According to internal DVBIC data, between January 2003 and the end of September 2008, 8,470 individuals with TBI were seen across its network, with more than 1,700 seen at Walter Reed Army Medical Center www.wramc.amedd.army.mil.

In light of these figures, French writes: “It is our obligation to those injured to use the knowledge and experience gained in these conflicts to improve the care of their fellow service members and, as much as possible, generalize this knowledge to the population as a whole.”

The titles and authors of the other articles are as follows:

“The Veterans Health Administration System of Care for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Costs, Benefits, and Controversies.” Heather G. Belanger, Ph.D.; Jay M. Uomoto, Ph.D.; Rodney D. Vanderploeg, Ph.D.
“Traumatic Brain Injury Screening: Preliminary Findings in a US Army Brigade Combat Team.” Heidi Terrio, M.D., MPH; Lisa A. Brenner, Ph.D.; Brian J. Ivins, M.S.; John M. Cho, M.D.; Katherine Helmick, M.S., CRNP; Karen Schwab, Ph.D.; Katherine Scally, M.S., ANP-C; Rick Bretthauer, PA-C; Deborah Warden, M.D.
“Performance on the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics in a Nonclinical Sample of Soldiers Screened for Mild TBI After Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan: A Descriptive Analysis.” Brian J. Ivins, M.P.S; Robert Kane, Ph.D.; Karen A. Schwab, Ph.D.
“Relationship Between Processing Speed and Executive Functioning Performance Among OEF/OIF Veterans: Implications for Postdeployment Rehabilitation.” Lonnie A. Nelson, Ph.D.; Ruth E. Yoash-Gantz, Psy.D.; Treven C. Pickett, Psy.D.; Thomas A. Campbell, Ph.D.
“Traumatic Brain Injury Associated With Combat Ocular Trauma.” Eric D. Weichel, M.D.; Marcus H. Colyer, M.D.; Charisma Bautista, B.S.; Kraig S. Bower, M.D.; Louis M. French, Psy.D.
“The Potential Utility of Driving Simulators in the Cognitive Rehabilitation of Combat-Returnees With Traumatic Brain Injury.” Henry L. Lew, M.D., Ph.D.; Peter N. Rosen, M.D.; Darryl Thomander, Ph.D., ABPP; John H. Poole, Ph.D.
“Clinical, Cognitive, and Genetic Predictors of Change in Job Status Following Traumatic Brain Injury in a Military Population.” S. Duke Han, Ph.D.; Hideo Suzuki, M.A,; Angela I. Drake, Ph.D.; Amy J. Jak, Ph.D.; Wes S. Houston, Ph.D.; Mark W. Bondi, Ph.D.

DVBIC, a congressionally mandated program headquartered in Washington, D.C., has more than 200 staff and employees located among 16 military treatment facilities, veterans hospitals and community programs across the United States and abroad. Its mission is to serve active duty military and veterans with TBI through state-of-the-art medical care, innovative clinical research initiatives and educational programs.