Traumatic Brain Injury and its Impact on America's Veterans

What is the issue?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become the signature wound from the conficts in Iraq and Afghanistan. An April 2007 study at Fort Carson showed that almost 18 percent of veterans returning from the Iraq theater sustained a brain injury during their service. TBI is associated with cognitive dysfunction, post-traumatic epilepsy, headaches and other motor and sensory neurological complications.

Why is it important?

Despite the prevalence and severity of TBI among these veterans, soldiers are not being routinely screened for brain injury. Absent routine screening, soldiers with TBI are often slipping through the cracks, making it difficult to accurately diagnose and treat their condition.

Additionally, neurological services within the VA are not receiving the resources required to treat the needs of returning combat veterans. For example, the VA has been reducing services for veterans with epilepsy even as new cases emerge due to wartime TBI. The current framework of treatment, research and training for epilepsy care within the VA system is undersupported and insufficient to meet the needs of these veterans.

What is the Academy's position?

Congress should take the following steps to improve TBI diagnosis and care for our returning veterans:

• Provide the resources needed to ensure that the Department of Defense can fully implement mandatory pre- and post-deployment screening for military personnel (the AAN helped develop the Heroes at Home Act with this in mind).
• The Academy's Centers of Excellence and epilepsy referral clinics passed through Congress in 2008 (Congress Successfully Passes Academy Legislation to Create Epilepsy Centers of Excellence)
• Make neurological and psychiatric services equally available to veterans in need.
• Improve the integration and coordination of neurology, mental health and rehabilitative services in the VA’s polytrauma program (also supported by the Academy during testimony).
• Increase availability and access to ongoing community-based services.
• Increase training and caregiver support services for TBI survivors and their families.
• Expand efforts to educate the public about TBI.

What Can You Do?

The Academy has developed an advocacy toolkit (to the right) to help you advocate on this important issue.