War Concussions and Post Traumatic Stress

A study by The New England Journal of Medicine shows that troops that have returned from Iraq who have suffered concussion are at a greater risk of developing post traumatic stress disorder. Experts are concerned that head injuries sustained in combat may cause neurological deficits.

Now that the prevalence is known, Dr. Levine said, the next step should be to assess troops’ cognitive functioning early on and track it over time, before and after combat.

“These injuries should not be underestimated,” he said. “You can’t work, you can’t do anything, at least initially, and the symptoms can linger for weeks to months.”