A study found that veterans with mTBI history performed significantly worse on 4 of 9 cognitive tests than either the age-matched non mTBI veterans or the healthy controls. Concerningly, the test results for veterans with mTBI showed they were cognitively “at least three decades older.” They performed most closely to the cohort of early-stage Parkinson’s Disease patients.

A study found that persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCSs) “were associated with an increased likelihood of perpetrating IPV in the subsequent year when controlling for other common IPV risk factors,” including binge drinking, marijuana use, pain level, and probable PTSD.

Veterans with or without a history of head injury are encouraged to participate in a remote study to learn about how receiving bright light or negative ions in the morning might affect sleep in veterans of all ages.

The Tampa, Florida VA association’s Post-Deployment Rehabilitation and Evaluation Program (PREP) “is an inpatient rehabilitation program that specializes in the evaluation and treatment of complex reactions and symptoms associated with possible mild TBI.” The program appears to be one of the more comprehensive multidisciplinary care programs.

According to the Veterans Association (VA), 11.9% of veterans use marijuana, often to self-medicate for illnesses like PTSD. Yet the VA will not expand its cannabis research and "continues to deny cannabis recommendations to veterans in 36 states that allow medical marijuana," according to an article in Politico.

In a video of her recent presentation at UW Medicine/Gonzaga University, researcher Christine MacDonald PhD shares several important discoveries about the impact of combat concussions on mental health. The EVOLVE study, for which she is the lead researcher, found that those who suffer combat concussions worsen over the course of their 1-year and 5-year follow-ups.