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Brain Ailments in Veterans Likened to Those in Athletes

Published May 31st, 2012

Brain Ailments in Veterans Likened to Those in Athletes   

Scientists who have studied a degenerative brain disease in athletes have found the same condition in combat veterans exposed to roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan, concluding that such explosions injure the brain in ways strikingly similar to punishing tackles and knockout punches.

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Mr. Strickland,

Thank you so much for keeping us so well informed about the latest information regarding the signature wound of these Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Traumatic Brain Injury. (TBI)  

Posting a link to  Mr. James Dao's  recent New York Times article about the similarities of brain destruction noted by our athletes and our young heroes from these wars, was a great service. Mr. Dao deserves recognition for all his informative articles for our nearly 400,000 returning heroes with TBI. 

Mr. Dao educates not only the wounded warrior, but family and community leaders as well as health care provides. Currently, only about 10% of physicians in the US treat TBI.  I'd like to thank him for his dedicated service to our veterans and their families.

As a rehab physician advocating for better diagnosis and treatment of TBI within our military and Veterans, I have been fortunate to attend a presentation by Dr. Ann McGee in early 2011. She and I discussed these similarities in behavior of our heroes and our athletes, and it is not a surprise to me that research is showing CTE - Cumulative Traumatic Encephalopathy in our returning military personnel, especially those who have sustained multiple tours of duty and multiple brain injuries. 

Mr. Dao, with his reporting, is encouraging the solution to the health care difficulties our brain battered Veterans face - by advocating the cooperation between military, Veterans Administration, and civilian specialists trained to diagnose and treat TBI.  It is the focus of my upcoming documentary, OPERATION RESURRECTION: The Warrior Returns.  As a nation, we must correctly diagnose and treat our heroes on the battlefield as well as we treat our heroes on the playing field.  Both Veterans and Athletes deserve timely and accurate diagnostics and treatment.  That is far superior to obtaining the correct diagnosis on the autopsy table.

THANK you, Mr. Dao, and Mr. Strickland, for keeping our heroes and their families informed. 

Sincerely, 

Chrisanne Gordon, MD
Board Certified by the Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
President, Resurrecting Lives Foundation
www.resurrectinglives.org