News Combat Veterans' Brains Reveal Hidden Damage From Ied Blasts

[MyPTSD]

The brains of Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans who survived blasts from improvised explosive devices and died later of other causes show a honeycomb of broken and swollen nerve fibers in critical brain regions, including those that control executive function. The pattern is different from brain damage caused by car crashes, drug overdoses or collision sports, and may be the never-before-reported signature of 'shell shock' suffered by World War I soldiers.

[DLMURL="http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/ptsd/~3/zXaF2xOEGVI/150114140600.htm"]Continue reading...[/DLMURL]

 

[Anarchy]

"A century after the first reported cases of shell shock, the struggle to overcome this invisible injury continues. Doctors treating IED survivors "often see depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and substance abuse or adjustment disorders. Life is very difficult for some of these veterans," says Koliatsos. "It's important to understand that at least a portion of these difficulties may have a neurological foundation.""

So what does he attribute the remainder of PTSD cases to?

Trench foot?

 

[Sighs]

I read the article but didn't see any comment about whether these physical signs of brain damage are linked to memory problems or an increased risk of dementia in combat PTSD sufferers. Can anyone shed any light on this?

 

[Sweetpea76]

@Sighs, I may be wrong, but I think those are more linked to the TBI themselves than PTSD.