A number of US veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan suffered long-term health problems linked with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), said a government report released on Friday.
These problems include dementia, aggression and depression and symptoms similar to those seen in Parkinson's disease, said the report by the government's Institute of Medicine committee.
In an effort to detail the long-term consequences of TBI, the committee looked at almost 2,000 studies on the subject.
The committee found evidence of a causal relationship between penetrating TBI and unprovoked seizures as well as death, and between severe or moderate TBI with unprovoked seizures.
There was "sufficient" evidence of an association between TBI and decline in neurocognitive function, long-term unemployment and problems with social relationships; Alzheimer's-like dementia, endocrine dysfunction, depression, aggressive behavior, memory problems and early death, said the report.
There was "limited/suggestive" evidence of an association between moderate or severe TBI and diabetes or psychosis; and between mild TBI and visual problems, dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide, the report said.
"Inadequate/insufficient" evidence existed on the relationship between moderate or severe TBI and brain tumors; mild TBI and employment and social functioning problems, bipolar disorder or attempted suicide; TBI and multiple sclerosis or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), according to the report.
The current US conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, which have been ongoing since Oct. 7, 2001 and March 2003, respectively, differ vastly from previous combat deployments in terms of injuries sustained. They differ even from injuries seen in the 1991 war, with more deaths, multiple traumas and more TBI, said the report.
According to the Department of Defense, more than 5,500 soldiers had suffered TBIs as of January 2008, accounting for about 22 percent of all casualties, as compared with only 12 percent to 14 percent of all combat casualties during the Vietnam War.
(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2008)