Brain Injuries in Veterans

Approximately 300,000 American soldiers have sustained traumatic brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan. Though most have come from explosions, the location of the injury has been previously difficult to determine as it could not be detected by CAT Scan or routine MRI. Therefore, it was difficult to know how to treat the chronic mental or physical problems.

Dr. David Brody, working with special MRI technique, known as diffusion tensor imaging, has helped unravel some of the questions. The scans have identified nerve injury in brain regions not seen in conventional mild head injuries. Being able to locate a structural problem enables physicians to better diagnose and measure the effects of therapy. This is especially important since the high levels of deperession and even suicide in returning veterans must be quickly reveresed.

You wonder how this related to the eyes. I am currently working with a group that is able to analyze eye movements in order to identify the location of traumatic brain injuries. If we are able to connect a structural finding with a functional movement, we should provide our veterans with better and more accurate care.