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PENTAGON PLANS BETTER BRAIN-INJURY TESTS FOR
TROOPS -- "The military was blindsided by the
number of blast
injury victims in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it
is clear that the
proper resources were never in place to care
for them."
Gunnery Sgt. William Rosborough at
Camp LeJeune, N.C., pauses to try to remember the name of a friend
who died during a tour in Iraq. Rosborough sustained a head injury
in Iraq during an explosion and suffers from memory loss. (photo:
By Jason Arthurs, News and Observer / AP) |
Story here...
http://www.usatoday.com/
news/washington/2007-05-
03-brain-injury-tests_N.htm
Story below:
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Better brain-injury tests planned for troops
By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon must use computers to
screen troops before and after they go to Iraq or Afghanistan to better
determine whether they suffered traumatic brain damage in combat,
according to a plan by a congressional brain-injury task force.
The Defense Department should also develop more brain-injury research
and improve specialized care for what experts are calling the signature
wound of these wars, one that often goes undetected until returning
troops have memory or behavior problems.
Congress has authorized a record $450 million for brain-injury treatment
and research in the Iraq spending bill being negotiated by Congress and
the White House. Legislators say the Pentagon acted slowly on this
issue.
"The military was blindsided by the number of blast injury victims in
Iraq and Afghanistan, and it is clear that the proper resources were
never in place to care for them," says Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J.,
co-chairman and founder of the 112-member Congressional Brain Injury
Task Force.
From 125,000 to 150,000 U.S. troops may have suffered mild, moderate or
severe brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan, Pascrell estimates.
That's a hidden population of wounded that far exceeds the official
casualty figures of 26,000.
Between 10% and 20% of the returning troops screened at a few individual
military bases may have suffered brain injuries, Pentagon spokesman
Chuck Dasey says.
The increased funding parallels a growing sense of urgency within the
civilian and military scientific community about adequate means of
treating this growing category of wounded.
A Pentagon mental health task force Thursday warned that twin challenges
of brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder have "exposed gaps"
in the Defense health system.
Dr. Gregory Poland, chairman of a Pentagon scientific advisory panel
that criticized the Defense Department's failure to track and diagnose
brain injury, says his committee will re-examine the issue in a few
months. "We really need to do something about this," Poland said.
Military scientists devised a brain-injury screening process years ago,
but the Pentagon has not started using it on all returning troops,
Defense Department spokeswoman Cynthia Smith says.
Such screenings can identify troops who are still suffering symptoms
such as memory loss, difficulty concentrating or irritability.
Modern body armor has enabled troops to survive many roadside bomb
blasts, but they still remain vulnerable to undetected brain injuries,
says Dr. Barbara Sigford, the VA's director for physical medicine and
rehabilitation.
Repeated combat deployments for troops makes it even more important for
the Pentagon and VA to "to be providing the services that they require,"
Sigford says.
Last month, Sigford says, the VA started traumatic-brain-injury
screening for every Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who arrives at one of
the department's 1,400 medical facilities. The extra money approved by
Congress will be welcome, she says.
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Larry Scott --
