Chicago Accident and Injury Lawyer Blog

The Illinois brain injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll are interested in following the most breaking advances in the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) since many of our clients suffer from TBIs. We recently read a story Army Moves To Act Fast On Battlefield Brain Injuries, which discusses how bomb blasts, leading to concussions and traumatic brain injuries, are treated in warfare settings.

One of the main problems with treating TBIs both on and off the battlefield is making the correct diagnosis. Some victims demonstrate signs of the brain injury, others do not. The military finds this particularly troubling, especially when many soldiers prefer to stay with their units at all costs. According to the Army Moves story, the Army "is trying to spot the injury close to the battlefield and get soldiers out of the fight." As a result, the Army is researching both a blood test and a brain scan that "may be able to indicate whether a soldier has TBI."

What does that mean for civilians? Despite the fact that those tests "could be years away," the fact that a major branch of the military is researching the issue will hopefully lead to better diagnostic tests for the medical community at large.

One of the other interesting segments of the Army Moves story discusses how TBI and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are "easily mixed up." In fact, concussions seen in battle, such as blast-related concussions, impact "the same region of the brain that is implicated in anxiety disorders and mood disorders." Just as it may take time for a victim to exhibit signs of PTSD, "some victims don't feel any effects [of TBIs] until months after their injury." The fact that researchers have begun to understand some of the nuances of these disorders is encouraging. The hope is that increased knowledge will lead to improved treatment options for those suffering from brain injuries, such as TBI, and PTSD.