Traumatic Brain Injury: An Update on the Signature Wound of Iraq

Traumatic brain injury has established itself as being the signature wound of Iraq. What is most troubling about traumatic brain injury is the fact that it can occur in a variety of situations and often is difficult to diagnose. Any soldier who is in the area of a blast is at risk; tens and even hundreds of thousands of veterans could be affected by brain injury. Gary Watts, a soldier in Iraq who suffered a brain injury when his truck rolled down an embankment, said he only had "a sore neck and a bad, bad headache;" this injury later was diagnosed as a TBI.

Troops' Head Wounds Go Undiagnosed: The Hidden Cost of TBI

Lately, more attention has become focused on TBI issues. Some have suggested that TBI screenings should be required for all returning soldiers. Bob Woodruff's recent television segment about traumatic brain injury drew further attention to the cause. A new policy has taken notice of the importance of recognizing brain injury: beginning in the spring, all troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who seek veterans care will be screened for traumatic brain injury. However, the new directive only will affect about 200,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who seek veterans care. Consequently, over one million men and women still will not be screened.