Care of War Veterans with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury - Flawed Perspectives

Abstract

Researchers estimate that more than 300,000 U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (20% of the 1.6 million) have sustained a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as concussion, with the majority going untreated In response, the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have implemented new post deployment health initiatives, including screening, communication strategies, disability regulations, and specialty care services. Unfortunately, the clinical definition of "concussion/mild TBI" adopted by the Department of Defense and the VA -- a blow or jolt to the head resulting in brief alteration in consciousness, loss of consciousness (lasting less than 30 minutes), or post-traumatic amnesia -- is inadequate for achieving the objectives of these well-intentioned initiatives.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2009
Accession Number
ADA532529

Entities

People

  • Carl A. Castro
  • Charles W. Hoge
  • Herb M. Goldberg

Organizations

  • Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Brain Injuries
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of Veterans Affairs
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Health
  • Health Services
  • Magnetic Resonance
  • Natural History
  • Psychiatry
  • Public Health
  • Traumatic Stress Disorder

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Economics
  • Mental Health of Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Risk Factors, Prevalence, Symptoms, and Treatment.
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Cognitive Aging in the Guam and Border Populations Affected by Alzheimer's Disease and Tau-Associated Dementias.