Category Archives: Government/Military

Long-awaited, Expanded Research Facility Opens in Waco

For seven years, there have been high hopes and expectations that Waco, Texas would be host to a world-class VA research facility.  Consolidating the Austin-based Brain Injury Recovery Laboratory and Waco’s Center of Excellence into one facility, it was thought that, 1 “this program consolidation will enable [the] VA to meet its mission of better understanding brain injuries…”  Waco is right next to Fort Hood, so the high hopes seemed in tune with location reality.  Right before it opened, then-Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Waco) lauded it as, “one of the few programs in the country focused on the links between genes and brain anatomy in the development of PTSD and mental illness in our combat soldiers.”  The Center even had many designated areas of the building devoted to the study of TBI and PTSD.  However, after all the excitement of the opening of the facility ended, it seems that much of the research activity in it essentially did too.

Perhaps it was all of these high hopes, coupled with the new, expensive equipment,  that led to the program’s perceived failure.  In 2014, “a 10-month [local newspaper] investigation… found that the VA squandered millions of dollars and six years of research opportunity just as brain injuries were spiking among U.S. service members.”  (Of particular note was the finding that a MRI scanner that was purchased in 2008 for $3.6 million, had since stayed dormant.)  This investigation was noticed by Congress, who started an investigation of their own, launched by Rep. Bill Flores (R-Waco).

Last week, the VA debuted a new, expanded state-of-the-art research facility in Waco, Texas.  (This is very similar to the nomenclature that was used in 2009 for the facility’s original launch and, in fact, this new facility was originally planned to open in 2011.)  Housed in the Doris Miller Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, as it’s known, employs 70 people from around the country.  These people must then find residence in Waco.  Waco Mayor Kyle Deaver says that, “attracting these well-paid professionals to Waco will ripple through the local economy,” which is an unexpected benefit of the Center.  Currently, a number of studies have already been planned, including Project Serve, SHE Study, the Moral Injury Project and treatment of traumatic brain injury using EEG neurofeedback.

Trump Acknowledges Brain Injury Awareness Day

“The White House expressed support for brain injury advocates attending the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force’s (CBITF) Brain Injury Awareness Day on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, March 22.”  To accompany the day, President Trump penned a letter to everyone who participated in the event.  An overview of the letter shows that it largely is a list of facts about brain injury that is available to the public already.  However, there is no letter from an earlier president to compare it with, as the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force was only created in 2012.  (The only letter from President Obama that I can find is a letter applauding the creation of the Task Force.)

An overview of the letter, though, also shows that it is comprised of a ten-line paragraph focused on those who suffer a brain injury while serving in the military.  While I am definitely not dismissing those who suffer a brain injury while on the call of duty, the following paragraph that focuses on civilians with brain injury is only five sentences.  As for statistics, the Center of Disease Control estimates that 1.7 million Americans sustain a brain injury each year .  The Department of Defense estimates that about 17,500 soldiers suffered a brain injury last year.    Unfortunately, that means that the percentage of soldiers who are afflicted by a brain injury is much higher; however, the number of civilian Americans who suffer from brain injuries is still a higher number and much more present.  The focus on the military makes sense for Trump though, as military is one of the chief priorities of the Trump Presidency.

I am not sure what would have made this acknowledgement letter something that the brain injury community and all concerned Americans satisfied and, in fact, there is no singular answer to that.  Even if you disagree with the exact wording of the letter, the fact that the President is recognizing that brain injury is a very important and serious issue in America is a definite positive.

States Stop the Stop on Stipends

Veterans are provided with certain benefits from the country, as recognition for their time in service.  In 2000, the National Family Caregiver Support Program was created to provide, “grants to State and Territories… to fund a range of supports that assist family and informal caregivers to care for their loved ones at home for as long as possible.”  Though this program was initially directed towards, “adult family members of other [adult] informal caregivers… providing care to individual 60 years of age and older; adult family members or other [adult] informal caregivers… providing care to individuals of any age with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders; grandparents and other relatives (not parents) 55 years of age and older providing care to children under the age of 18; and grandparents and other relatives (not parent) 55 years of age and older providing care to adults… with disabilities,” given how much they have given to this country, in 2010, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act , Public Law No. 111-163, was enacted nationally.  Public Law No.111-163 allows those who support veterans to apply for these benefits.  (This bill was sponsored by Sen. Akaka (D-HI) and cosponsored in a non-partisan way.)

Because this program relies on the state to determine who should be granted these benefits and how much this grant should be, based on the cost of living and the cost of medical care in the state, it is the states’ responsibility to keep the program running.  Recently, the Oregon VA decided to stop giving benefits to the caregivers of some veterans; 207 have been removed from the program, while 57 veterans are still participating.  However, on April 10, 2017, The Oregonian reported, “Portland VA to temporarily stop removing vets from caregiver program”.  Six members of Congressmen, all of whom happen to be Democrats, Rep. Kurt Schrader, Sen. Ron Wyden, Sen. Jeff Markley, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Rep. Peter DeFazio, put a stop to the stop.  (Though he did not participate in the halt of the stop, Republican Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon says he supports it.)

Though not yet enacted, the stop that some Oregon congressmen are trying to make is not unique to the state.  As of February 2016, thousands of veterans in Washington and Idaho had already been removed from the program.  However, as the title of these articles state, “Veterans’ caregivers lose VA stipends, struggle to understand why.”  The government says that the stipends given through this program were never meant to be permanent.  However, I can find no information in the text of the law that either confirms or negates this.  For many veterans with certain disabilities, such as some with TBI or PTSD, employment is simply not a possibility.  In fact, these articles profile specific veterans, with TBI and PTSD, for whom full recovery has not yet, and may never be, a medically-reasonable possibility.

A Weapon that Hurts the Soldier with Every Shot

When thinking of war, civilians may think of the possible consequences to soldiers as they relate to the actions of the opposition.  Rarely does one consider that by defending oneself and the country, American soldiers may be harming themselves, as well.

However, evaluation of methods of warfare defense shows that personal-injury will occur when in battle.  For example, the Carl-Gustaf system, a shoulder-fired weapon weighing approximately 10 pounds, may be called “the best [recoilless] multi-purpose weapon.”  A single shot from this powerful weapon produces a burst of gas from its muzzle and breech towards the shooter.  (“It feels like you get punched in your whole body,” is the way one Army gunner described it.)

When the Carl-Gustaf system was presented to the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, one member asked what all of us wonder and worry:  “What kind of damage is that doing to soldiers in training and on the battlefields?”  The Army knows of this “brain-injury problem” and started testing the effects of the weapon on American soldiers, as early as 2011.

Echoing the Benefits of Exercise after TBI

In 2013, the University of Buffalo found that of the four participants who underwent daily aerobic exercise, all benefited neurologically, particularly in decreasing exhaustion.  In 2015, the National Institute of Health (NIH) conducted a 12-week study with the same results: “individuals with TBI may benefit from participation in vigorous aerobic exercise training with improved cardiorespiratory fitness and diminished fatigue.”  Currently, the University of Kansas is performing a two-year, $500,000 clinical study, sponsored by the Department of Defense, to see if the same applies to wounded warriors.  (The reason why this is even a question is because traditionally, rest is the recommended remedy for a “knock to the head”.)

As opposed to the Buffalo study, the study in Kansas will include more than 100 hundred wounded warriors, stationed in Fort Riley, all of whom were affected by explosive devices.  Also, as the leaders of the study and exercise trainers will agree, all exercise is not the same and does not provide to same benefits.  Therefore, “instead of lifting weights, we want the soldiers running more to improve their aerobic capacity,” says David Johnson, the leader of the study, explaining the aim of the study in a news release.  Beyond fatigue, the study expects to find that aerobic exercise helps the brain heal in other ways, such as in memory and thinking, anxiety and depression.  While this study is focused on the benefits of exercise for those with mild traumatic brain injury, the results may have benefits for other neurological conditions, such as in aiding those with severe TBI, Alzheimer’s, etc.  More so, it could reaffirm the neurological benefits of exercise for all.

A Penny for Your Brain

Imagine if all you had to do was carry around a penny to know if something has negatively affected your brain.  The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is sponsoring the development of such a product, called BLAST (Blast Load Assessment Sense and Test).  Specifically, the ONR, in association with NASA, the University of North Carolina, and Applied Research Associates Inc., a New Mexico-based research firm, is in development of a coin-sized device that would be no burden to the soldier and can be worn on the helmet or body armor, and can identify brain injury, letting the soldier know if they should get immediate medical help.  As Dr. Timothy Bentley of the ONR says, “A system like BLAST is vitally important because it can help recognize the signs of TBI early and tell warfighters they might need medical attention.”

While it may take 5 years to be fully developed and tested, the prospect of such a product has great possibilities, both in and outside of the armed forces.  For example, brain injury in American football has been big news in the past several years, and a coin-sized brain injury “detector” attached to players’ helmets could aid in the quick diagnosis and treatment of such an injury in football and other sports where helmets are worn, such as hockey.  Beyond that, the possibilities are endless.

For more information:

Navy BLAST Sensor Development Looking to Improve Data on TBIs, Military.com

BLAST: Greater Speed, Accuracy in Recognizing Brain Injury, AMERICA’s NAVY

Naval Research seeks to tackle traumatic brain injury, MilitaryTimes

 

 

 

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/.)