Traumatic Brain Injury: VA Secretary Says Veterans Screened

Virginia Secretary Jim Nicholson said that all soldiers who return from Iraq or Afghanistan are screened for brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder. The initiative has been in place for about 90 days and was created to better suit the needs of veterans, said Nicholson. "Whether they come to us with a toothache or a sore knee, we screen them for any form of brain injury, and we are now screening every one of them for post-traumatic stress disorder," said Nicholson.

VA Secretary Says Veterans Screened for Brain injuries, PTSD

Nicholson the screening process involves VA clinicians talking to veterans and giving them further testing if they have symptoms of brain injury. Nicholson added that previous research has focused on traumatic brain injury as opposed to mild brain injury, and this may account for many of the brain injuries soldiers have upon their return home.