Category Archives: Government/Military

Link: A Head for the Future

This past Friday was Veterans Day, a time to honor soldiers and veterans who fought for the principles upon which America was founded.  In commemoration, I searched for information about the military and brain injury.  It was upsetting that my search resulted in so many news articles, at least one article per day in the recent past.  However, some of these daily articles involved efforts of the military to help those wounded in service, such as that of a retired General who just received an award for his efforts related to brain injury,  and inspiring stories of recovery, such as one involving the healing support of trained dogs.

Of particular interest was the website A Head for the Future.  The site, a collaboration of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) and the Defense Centers of Excellence, is associated with every branch of the military.  On the front page of the site, one can find links to sections on how to PREVENT, RECOGNIZE, RECOVER and GET INVOLVED and a section called MATERIALS, in which one can view and download facts about brain injury.  Featured on the site is a BLOG, where veterans and their families can submit personal stories of brain injury to the DVBIC.  The page also allows visitors to view videos featuring veterans telling their stories on camera.  These stories, both those in print and on video, are quite poignant and worth viewing.

“Hearing” Concussions

Though they are quite different on the surface, soldiers and college athletes both function in roles that can result in physical injury.  Unfortunately, this commonality means that both soldiers and college athletes have a higher likelihood of getting a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), also known as a concussion.  Because of this, the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency (USAMMA) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) joined forces in a search to find a better way of detecting mTBI, which may not be immediately recognizable.  The project, known as the “Grand Alliance”, is being conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s government-funded Lincoln Laboratory (MIT LL), with the goal of creating “a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared, real-time mild TBI screening app and hardware device which can be used throughout the echelons of care from point of injury to rehabilitation,” said Brian Dacanay, USAMMA product manager.  Essentially, they are in the process of creating “a computer algorithm to identify vocal biomarkers” to be used on a portable smartphone-size device that could help identify when someone needs medical help for a concussion.  MIT LL hopes to have the device ready for FDA approval by 2018.

Patriotic Day Can Traumatize America’s Patriots

Fireworks may be the signature event of the 4th of July, but for those veterans who showed their extreme patriotism by serving on the front line, it may be the most emotionally painful day of the year.  Research findings differ, but up to 20% of the more than 2.5 million veterans and troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are believed to have developed PTSD.  “With PTSD, it’s an invisible wound.  It’s a real physical change in our brain,” says Jeremy Clark, a former technical sergeant for the US Air Force who has both PTSD and TBI. He served in Iraq and was traumatized by the explosions of 14 roadside bombs during his service.  Sam Deeds, a Marine Corps vet, says, “It’s like I’m getting blown up all over again.”  As of 2016, there were free yard signs to veterans that say “Combat veteran lives here, please be courteous with fireworks.”

For non-veterans, fireworks can still be dangerous.  The purchase of fireworks is illegal in some states and, even in states where the purchase of fireworks are legal, they should not be lit without proper knowledge on how to prevent injuries.  According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 230 people a year “celebrate” Independence Day with a visit to the emergency room because of fireworks-related injuries.  To prevent injury from happening, the non-profit National Council on Fireworks Safety and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission both have instructions on how to use firework as safely as possible.

(In this post, I have talked about the dangers of fireworks.  However, I think most veterans would say that fireworks are both a patriotic and enjoyable way to celebrate Independence Day.  They probably wish they could still enjoy the fireworks on July 4th.  Clark and Deeds have both found ways to prevent the noise and visuals that lead them to an automatic fight-or-flight reaction.  I very much hope that vets with this issue can find ways to enjoy the holiday without exposing themselves to triggers.)

VA Recognizes TBI Mistake: Positive, But Possibly Too Late

According to the Defense and Veteran’s Brian Injury Center (DVBIC), a cooperative between the Department of Defense and Veteran’s Affairs, “Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant health issue which affects service members and veterans during times of both peace and war.”  Given that the military recognizes that traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major problem, it is a shock that, since 2007, 25,000 veterans who are now known to suffer from traumatic brain injury were not initially diagnosed and treated for TBI.  (Tested by doctors who have been found to be unqualified, these veterans were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  PTSD is terrible, yes, but more treatable than TBI.)

Through this major error, tens of thousands of veterans were not given the appropriate medical and financial help they needed and deserved.  Fortunately, the military now realizes its mistakes and can rectify them and prevent them from happening again.  For many veterans, who have struggled for years to get the military to recognize its difficulties, though, is it too little, too late?

(To learn more about TBI and the military from past service members, visit http://www.disabledveterans.org/.)