Military service members who sustain concussions in combat may experience worsening symptoms for several years after their injuries, particularly if they have psychiatric problems, a small U.S. study suggests.
About one in five U.S. service members deployed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffered a head injury, researchers note in JAMA Neurology. Most of them endured mild uncomplicated brain injuries or concussions.
The military has a comprehensive approach to treating battlefield concussions, which is one of the key advances from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, noted Dr. Jack Tsao, coauthor of an accompanying editorial and a researcher at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center.