Researchers Seek to Categorize Types of TBI Severity

At the St. Louis School of Medicine, researchers are seeking to identify and categorize the various levels of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) seen in our American war veterans.

The analysis research involves over 300,000 soldiers who served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that have been diagnosed with TBI after returning from combat. Their focus is on those suffering from what's considered a mild level of TBI, the 1^st of the 3 levels of severity.

The research team under Dr. Richard Bucholz, of the St. Louis University Advanced Neurological Innovation Center, is working with the belief that "one size doesn't fit all" when it comes to diagnosing TBI. Currently, a TBI is classified as mild, moderate or severe depending on the symptoms, but the team is working on identifying more specific levels within those classifications.

The nature of the injury, whether from an improvised explosive device or a gunshot, can make a difference in the TBI symptoms. The existence of TBI often goes hand in hand with another commonly improperly managed condition, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Brain imaging analysis is being used to detect damage effecting parts of the brain as small as the very brain cells. While the study focuses mainly on identifying various types of mild TBI, it may also lead to a better understanding of the overlap between TBI and PTSD in war veterans.

You Have the Power to Help a Disabled American Veteran!

Our veterans deserve the utmost care and respect in exchange for their sacrifice and service to our country, yet many suffer with disabling medical conditions and illness and struggle to make ends meet after life in the service. At Care for Disabled Veterans our goal is to assist qualified veterans in obtaining the medical evidence they need to seek their rightful benefits for combat-related disabilities.