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Brain injuries so subtle that they don't produce a loss of consciousness and can only be detected by an ultra-sensitive imaging test can predispose soldiers in combat to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study from the University of RochesterMedical Center. The study — funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs andpublished in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation — involved 52 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans who served in combat areas between 2001 and2008. A pproximately four years after their last tour of duty, r esearchers asked each veteran about PTSD symptoms, blast exposuresand mild concussions in addition to measuring combat stress byasking about the intensity of deployment duties (such as dealingwith human remains), vehicle accidents and combat experiences suchas being ambushed or knowing someone who was seriously injured orkilled. Results showed that 30 of the 52 veterans suffered at least one mild traumatic braininjury (TBI) with seven reporting more than one, and that 60percent of the veterans were exposed to one or more explosiveblasts. All 52 veterans had one or more PTSD symptoms and 15 met the formal criteria for PTSD , which the study notes is a "devastating psychiatric illness." The severity of each veterans' PTSD symptoms correlated with theamount of injury to the neurons seen on the MRI and diffusion tensor imaging ( DTI) scans — DTI is a very sensitive scan used to test damage to neurons that occurs during a concussion — but PTSD severity did not correlate with the clinicaldiagnosis of mild TBI. Consequently, the findings suggest that subtle brain injury can occur without producing the loss ofconsciousness or amnesia that is typically associated withdiagnosis of mild TBI . Furthermore, that type of under-the-radar injury can make aperson more vulnerable to psychiatric illness when coupled withextreme chronic stress. "Most people believe that, to a large extent, chronic stress fromintense combat experiences triggers PTSD. Our study adds moreinformation by suggesting that a physical force such as exposure to a bomb blast also may play arole in the genesis of the syndrome ," lead author Jeffrey J. Bazarian, M.D., M.P.H., said in a press release . The nature of the interaction between TBI and PTSD has been unclearup to this point, but the researchers believe that they are thefirst to find an association that can be demonstrated on livingsoldiers with advanced imaging techniques. The findings will be helpful to physicians who are trying try to"untangle the symptom overlap between PTSD and mild TBI" so thatthey can properly treat soldiers returning from deployment at atime when s uicides are occurring at the fastest pace of the decade-long war. The Associated Press reported that there have been 154 suicides for active-duty troops in the first 155 days of thisyear (up to June 3), which is 16 percent ahead of the pace for the previous high in 2009 and about 50 percent more than the number of U.S. forces killed inaction in Afghanistan over that time. And in January the USA Today reported in January IED attacks hit a record high of more than 16,000 in Afghanistan last year ( a pace that has continued ). "Based on our results, it looks like the only way to detect thisinjury is with DTI/MRI," Bazarian said. "While it may not befeasible due to costs and limited availability of someneuro-imaging tests to screen thousands of service members forbrain injury, our study highlights the pressing need to develop simpler teststhat are accurate and practical, that correlate with brain injury ." ALSO SEE: Scientists Looked Inside The Brains Of Troops Killed By Bombs AndMade This Shocking Discovery. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Silly Rubber Band Manufacturer , China Silicone Kitchenware for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Silicone Wristband Watch.
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