Tag Archives: Veteran

VA’s MDMA Trial Offers New Hope, Particularly for the Brain Injured

On May 26, 2026, the VA announced a clinical trial to test MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans battling PTSD and alcohol use disorder. The study, which began enrollment quietly on May 18, is one of 19 psychedelic trials the VA is funding through $23 million in external grants, enrolling approximately 80 veterans at facilities in Providence, Rhode Island, and West Haven, Connecticut, with results expected in May 2030.

The trial will study the safety and effectiveness of MDMA-assisted therapy to address conditions that do not fully respond to standard treatments. For those living with traumatic brain injury, the treatment’s benefit may be significant. Research shows that patients with head injuries are more likely to develop PTSD than those without a TBI history. Studies confirm that veterans with probable TBI have 1.72 times greater odds of developing PTSD.

“This trial represents an important step in safely evaluating new approaches and innovations to treat Veterans with severe mental health conditions,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. For the hundreds of thousands of veterans carrying both a damaged brain and a traumatized mind, it may represent something even more profound: a second chance at healing.

Another Study Links TBI & PTSD to Cognitive Decline – But Not Through Brain Plaques

A study published May 30, 2026, in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease is reshaping how researchers understand cognitive decline in combat veterans. Using data from the Department of Defense’s Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, USC researchers examined how TBI and PTSD affect brain imaging markers and cognition in a U.S. veteran population.

Brain imaging results and cognitive test data assessing memory and executive function in veterans

The study found that greater PTSD symptom severity was linked to poorer performance across all three cognitive tests used, and higher TBI severity correlated with lower scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination. What is striking about these findings is that they did not show that TBI severity nor PTSD symptoms were associated with neuroimaging biomarkers of neurodegeneration or vascular damage.

This discovery suggests that cognitive impairment in veterans may not stem directly from the accumulation of Alzheimer’s pathologies or vascular injuries. This matters enormously for treatment. It suggests veterans’ cognitive struggles may require targeted interventions beyond standard dementia pathways – a finding directly relevant to legislative reauthorizing of funding for federal TBI surveillance and research programs.

No Congressional Urge to Move BACK HOME

Inmates in prison uniforms in a common room with correctional officers and a sign reading 'TBI Support Group – 2:00 PM'

An estimated 107,400 veterans are serving time in state or federal prison, many of whom may carry wounds that no one can see. Combat exposure-associated mental and physical consequences including traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and mood disorders, are unfortunately directly linked to a greater likelihood of criminal justice involvement among veterans. Currently, by law, the VA cannot provide hospital or outpatient care to incarcerated veterans because penal institutions are legally obligated to furnish inmate healthcare. Bipartisan legislation aims to break that cycle.

The Get Justice-Involved Veterans Behavioral Assistance and Care for Key Health Outcomes to Maintain Empowerment (BACK HOME) Act, was introduced by Senators Angus King (ME) and Pete Ricketts (NE), along with Representatives Herb Conaway (NJ) and Morgan Luttrell (TX). The bill, S. 4162 and H.R. 8044, would create a VA pilot program to furnish mental health services to incarcerated veterans, prioritizing those with service-connected TBI, PTSD, or military sexual trauma. It would also ensure automatic resumption of disability compensation payments upon a veteran’s release from incarceration.

Logos of veteran associations and psychological associations side by side

“The Get Justice-Involved Veterans BACK HOME Act is about closing a dangerous gap in care by ensuring that justice-involved veterans can still access the mental health services they need to heal, rebuild, and successfully reenter their communities,” said Senator King. Congressman Conaway, a physician himself, added: “The Get Justice-Involved Veterans BACK HOME Act is about closing a dangerous gap in care by ensuring that justice-involved veterans can still access the mental health services they need to heal, rebuild, and successfully reenter their communities.”

The legislation is supported by the American Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America, the American Psychological Association, and the American Psychiatric Association.  Unfortunately, there has been no action on either the Senate or House BACK HOME Acts since their respective  introductions on March 23, 2026, and March 24, 2026.

Your Eyes Can Reveal What’s In Your Brain

In March 2026, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus published the results of a study that reveals high-speed eye-tracking technology can detect lasting neurological damage from mild traumatic brain injuries. More so, it showed that the damage that can be detected may be completely invisible to MRI scans, CT imaging, and routine clinical exams. This matters enormously. Current standard concussion assessments are largely subjective and can result in patients being told they’ve recovered when their brains are still struggling.

At the CU’s Marcus Institute for Brain Health, researchers tested 78 military veterans and measured subtle disruptions in eye movement that expose hidden neural damage. The findings were sobering: deficits persisted 10 to 15 years after the original injury. As Dr. Jeffrey Hebert, who led the study, noted, “Even when someone feels recovered, their brain may still be working differently behind the scenes.” Funded by the Department of Defense, this technology offers something conventional medicine currently cannot – objective, documented proof of brain trauma.

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/.)