PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury) - hidden connection?

According to the Office of the General Surgeon of the Army, 64% of veterans wounded as a result of combat survivorships were injured (attacks using rocket grenades, improvised explosive devices, or improvised explosive devices made on vehicles). Many other people were injured without obvious external wounds. Being an ex-wife of the army, I cannot name one soldier whom I know, who did not hit at least several times at close range from one of these devices.

Attacks associated with the use of an explosion can cause TBI (traumatic brain injury) or MTBI (mild traumatic brain injury). According to the Center for the Protection of the Brain and Veterans of the Brain (DVBIC), “injuries caused by an explosion are injuries caused by a complex pressure wave caused by an explosion. Air-filled organs, such as the ear, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract, and organs surrounded by cavities filled with fluid, such as the brain and spinal cord, are particularly susceptible to primary injury from an explosion (Elsayed, 1997; Mayorga, 1997). The overpressure wave is quickly dissipated, which leads to the greatest risk of injury most close to the explosion.

Despite the fact that a lot of things are unknown about brain damage, a study of returning soldiers at the Walter Reed Medical Center in 2003 recorded DVBIC that 61% of military personnel who received explosions had a head injury. P. Stephen Macedo, a neurologist and former doctor of the veteran administration (quoted by Ronald Glaser in an article from the Washington Post Washington Post), suggested that at least one third of all veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan received a head injury.

Approximately 2 million soldiers, sailors, pilots and marines who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan to date, this estimate would mean that about 670,000 returning heroes suffer from traumatic brain injury. it long away except for the maya. 12,274 reported cases of combat TBI as of March 2007. Such a sharp discrepancy in numbers indicates that the existing military and veterinary services and screening procedures are not adequate.

It is also possible that the majority of our heroes are diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), when they really should get a diagnosis of TBI, MTBI, or a combination of PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Many symptoms of traumatic brain injury, mild or otherwise, reflect the symptoms of PTSD. People experiencing either injury tend to experience one or more of the following factors: memory loss, concentration, reduced attention, slower thinking processes, irritability, sleep problems, depression, and problems with impulse control. With so many common symptoms, many, even trained specialists, cannot determine which disease (or both) suffers.

However, it is necessary to provide adequate long-term assistance to the heroes of our country, so that medical professionals carry out the necessary tests to determine whether there is a brain injury. This is of paramount importance because, according to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), traumatic brain injury causes and accelerates many diseases, including respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive and neurological diseases. Without proper initial care, veterans will not receive follow-up screening and treatment to prevent or mitigate further harm.

The personal experience of our family in screening for TBI / MTBI through the Veteran’s medical system was not entirely favorable. My husband endured more than twelve explosions (a combination of RPG and IED) while serving in Iraq. His neurological symptoms after a single attack fall directly under the diagnostic criteria for traumatic brain injury (available on the BIAA website at www.biusa.org) because he had a periodic loss of consciousness during a certain period of time after the explosion. He received one initial screening at our clinic in a local VA clinic, and then at our VA regional hospital, “One grade two grade.” The second assessment was so unprofessional and seemingly dependent on the opinions of the clinician that I consulted a lawyer from the BIAA. It was through them that I learned that my husband really had at least MTBI and should receive follow-up care and testing in accordance with “civilian” care recommendations. However, based on the opinion of the clinician VA, the mental, behavioral, and physical changes of my husband were attributed only to PTSD.

There are many current military and VA procedures and policies that will need to be adapted and improved in order to properly care for and diagnose our many returning heroes. An example of this is the current level of assistance provided to soldiers for brain injuries. If you or a loved one served in Iraq or Afghanistan and experienced any TBI or MTBI symptoms listed below, please click on the correct, complete diagnosis. Hopefully, if enough veterans and family members stand up and ask for more, we will make it easier for our other returning brothers and sisters.

Neurological symptoms of TBI include: memory loss; problems of concentration or attention; slow learning; and difficulties with planning, reasoning, or judging.

The emotional and behavioral effects of TBI include: depression, anxiety, impulsivity, aggression, and suicidal thoughts.

The physical symptoms of TBI include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, blurred vision, sleep disturbances, rapid fatigue, lethargy, or other sensory loss.

Glasser, Ronald. "The shock wave of brain injuries." April 8, 2007. Washington Post (The full text of this candid article can be found at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/06/AR2007040601821.html).