Stressed Soldier

Soldiers who suffered concussions - and one in six soldiers stationed in Iraq suffered at least one concussion during their tour of duty - may face increased risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a research report published recently in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The research study involved the first large-scale attempt to evaluate the effects of mild head injuries, which many soldiers received from roadside blasts. Experts believe these concussions may be at the root of many unrecognized neurological deficits which affect soldiers returning from Iraq.

Soldiers who suffered concussions, according to the report, were more likely than soldiers who sustained other types of injuries to complain of symptoms like headaches, balance problems, and sleep difficulties in their first few months back home.

More significantly, however, these soldiers carried increased risks of PTSD. The stress disorder accounted for the difference in complaints between the two groups of soldiers. PTSD manifests in symptoms that include irritability, flashbacks, and sleep difficulties.

Many veterans with concussions have also complained of subtle changes in mental performance, like slips in short-term memory, which can occur and linger for several months as a result of severe concussion. However, the study was not designed to detect or to validate these changes.

Experts noted, however, that the study findings are similar to previous studies that link concussions (from terrifying events such as car accidents, for example, but not from athletic collisions) to PTSD.

The severity of the concussions suffered had a direct relationship to the likelihood of PTSD. A concussion is an injury from a blow or shock to the head that does not show any visible damage to the brain but still results in a temporary daze, confusion, or actual loss of consciousness.

In the study, which involved 2,525 soldiers who had returned from Iraq for 3-4 months, 384 soldiers (15%) suffered at least one concussion. One-third of them blacked out as a result of the injury, and of this number, nearly 44% (or more than 2 in 5 soldiers) were diagnosed for PTSD. Among the two-thirds that did not black out, 27% (nearly 3 of 10 soldiers) had PTSD, which was significantly higher than the 16% rate reported in veterans with other types of injuries.

PTSD does not result in permanent damage, according to the report, and it can improve with proper treatment.

Safety Tip:

• Be more patient and understanding. The veteran in your home who has suffered a concussion will eventually recover from the symptoms. Help him or her to get over this difficult period.