Study: Aging brain-injured vets may have faster cognitive declines

According to a study of veterans of the Vietnam War who suffered brain injuries, the veterans exhibit faster declines in cognitive functioning as they get older when compared to veterans who did not suffer brain injuries. The study was published in the online journal “Brain.” It found that the rate of cognitive decline depends on a number of factors, including how intelligent the subject was before the injury; his educational level; the size and location of the brain injury; and some genetic markers. Authors of the study say the government needs to consider the findings when they review the head injuries being suffered by soldiers in such places as Iraq and Afghanistan. The findings may have an influence on the future healthcare needs of such injured soldiers. The subjects of the study were Vietnam veterans who had suffered penetrating head injuries.

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Wayne State studying war-related brain injuries

Michigan’s Wayne State University has received a $778,000 grant to determine why so many troops are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with brain injuries caused by roadside bombs. And much of the research involves the use of the school’s $25,000 blast tube, which is used to mimic the blast conditions that soldiers encounter in places like Iraq. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is common among wounded returning soldiers, and the Brain Injury Association of America says about 1.4 million Americans sustain a TBI every year. Roadside bombs and other explosives create a wave of energy that moves at the speed of sound. That pressure wave used to kill soldiers by destroying their lungs, but soldiers now commonly wear flak jackets and vests that protect them from those chest injuries. So now, the pressure wave tends to cause brain injuries. Wayne State researchers are trying to determine exactly how those pressure waves cause brain injuries.

Report says head injury care for veterans is lacking

Medical care for mental health and brain injuries for veterans is often inadequate or poorly delivered. That’s the conclusion of a recent report from a veterans’ group. Veterans for America did the report, entitled “Trends in Treatment of America’s Wounded Warriors.” It examined a number of trends affecting service members and Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who suffered brain injuries or psychological traumas. Investigators visited demobilization sites and monitored services designed to help wounded vets readjust to civilian life.The report notes an inability to effectively treat head injuries and an apparent reluctance to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries with the same enthusiasm as treatment for physical injuries.