Long-term health outcomes of traumatic brain injury in Veterans
Abstract: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become one of the most prevalent battle wounds among veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. According to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, nearly 414 000 service members worldwide sustained TBI between 2000 and late 2019. Numerous psychiatric and medical consequences arise after TBI, including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, suicidal thoughts, cognitive deficits, chronic pain, and unemployment. TBI severity appears to be linked to certain outcomes. Given this backdrop, the analysis by Stewart et al. provides a timely probe of associations between TBI severity and subsequent risk of brain cancer in this vulnerable patient cohort. The commentary of this study in question commentary concludes that the research provides meaningful data clarifying associations between combat-related TBI severity and subsequent brain cancer risk among post-9/11 veterans. It highlights that elucidating potential connections between battlefield trauma and longer-term health outcomes is imperative to inform prevention and care approaches for those who have served. In particular, because the PACT Act expands access and benefits for veterans affected by illness that may relate to hazardous exposures, understanding contributors is critical. In addition, an improved scientific understanding of how traumatic injury forces propagate through brain tissue to trigger neurodegeneration and other pathological conditions may shed further light on the observed links between TBI and elevated brain cancer rates.