Traumatic Brain Injury Affects War Veterans Life

There has been constant rise in the no. of soldiers returning from the America’s most recent war home – Iraq. However, as the survivors are greeted after pursuing a courageous duty of serving their country, a new generation of women and men suffering from mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are welcomed with flawed TBI technologies and battled medical budgets which fail to provide sufficient treatments and services required to improve their new disabilities.

With an average of 1.5 million Americans suffering from some type of TBI, the no. of researchers and scientists striving to cure these victims are constantly increasing. However, dwindling budget continuously squeezes and compresses war related fund for brain injury.

According to military experts and doctors, traumatic brain injury is the “signature” injury of the Iraq war. It is important for these soldier victims to find some financial assistance for their TBI associated disability.

Defining TBI:

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) define TBI as “an injury that occurs after an abrupt trauma causes damage to the brain.”

An individual develops war related TBI in many ways. The signs and symptoms of this type of injury vary upon different cases. However, scientists and researchers are trying hard to find various repetitive symptoms and conditions among TBI victims. According to a study published in the medical journal of Neuropsychology and Brain Injury, following are the signs and symptoms of war related TBI conditions:

• Decreased attention span, including sustained, selective and focused attention problems
• Anxiety and depression
• Headaches
• Behavioral issues

• lack of motivation
• irritability
• increased fatigue
• memory loss or disturbance
• disrupted sleep
• cognitive issues
• language difficulties
• inability to efficiently process information

• post traumatic stress disorder

According to an article published in the US Today, in May 2006, co-founder of the DVBIC confirmed to a Senate committee “body armor may save troops caught in blasts it leaves many with brain damage.” Moreover, there were several other statistics describing the condition of TBI veterans:

• 20 percent of frontline infantry troops experiences concussions during combat
• Pentagon declined the screening of all the troops returning from the Iraq war and thus, screens only a small no. of soldiers
• 10 percent of troops in Iraq suffer from concussions during combat.
• According to scientists, the Pentagon must screen each troop returning from the Iraq war
• If left untested or untreated, concussions and multiple head injuries may lead to permanent brain damage.

Additionally, various specialized magazines including Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, Soldiers Magazine, Brain Injury, MIT’s Technology Review and Internal Medicine reported disturbing statistics including the following:

Health care professionals diagnose approximately 25 percent of all the American soldiers with mental illness

• · Of the 35,000 military veterans examined for TBI, about 11 percent showed the signs and symptoms of TBI.
• · War related traumatic brain injury patients often experiences personality changes.
• · Currently, there is no treatment to cure prolonged symptoms of TBI.

Faulty Brain Injury Technology

Unfortunately, with decreased budget, the quality of technology and care also decreases. Recently, Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed ten veterans’ affairs (VR) centers for medical and established that the TBI-screening test’s reliability and validity may be faulty. According to article published in the Associated Press TBI, patients may be receiving unnecessary or inadequate care for the injuries in the brain.  The report determined that:

• Although, the Veterans Affair has implemented a protocol to make sure that the soldiers testing positive for TBI receives adequate treatment but many of the veterans affair medical professional fails to follow these protocols.
• Although, there has been implementation of TBI screening tools for war victims but nobody has established the reliability and validity of these tools.
• According to VA, Iraq veterans believe that the VA and its facilities cater properly to elderly soldiers and not to the young veterans.

Living with Traumatic Brain Injury

Veterans suffering from TBI will find that not only does this condition affect them but also their families and friends. A TBI affected victim can undergo various clinical trials to improve their conditions and to treat the TBI symptoms. Following organizations offer some of these clinical trials:

• Acoustic Neuroma Association
• Brain Injury Association of America
• National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)
• National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke – Brain Resources and Information Network (BRAIN)
• Brain Trauma Foundation
• Family Caregiver Alliance/National Center on Care giving
• National Stroke Association

Finding Assistance for Brain Injury

Victims suffering from war related TBI could avail assistance of several organizations. Following are so0me of the leading hospitals or organizations:

• Center for Study of Traumatic Stress
• National Intrepid Center of Excellence
• Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center
• Center for Deployment Psychology
• Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury
• Deployment Health Clinical Center
• Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Additionally, victims of the war related brain injury are encouraged to seek the advice of an experienced traumatic brain injury lawyer who will assist in developing a brain injury lawsuit.  TBI medical expenses can be extremely costly.