Army Studies Mild Concussion Cases

A study is underway at Fort Campbell Army Base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky which is looking into the cognitive effects that mild concussions have on bomb techs. It's the first of it's kind conducted by the military where the data will actually be collected from tests performed on active duty bomb specialists throughout their deployment. While nearly 200,000 concussion cases have been reported since 2000, many more are not reported. The effects of a mild concussion can be detrimental to the health of an individual should it go untreated.

In many cases the brain can heal on it's own after suffering a mild concussion. However, the most important remedy is resting and giving the brain the time to heal properly. Should the brain not be given that time to heal, neurons can die off and ultimately cause irreversible damage, inhibiting an individual from performing complex functions, and sometimes even the most basic of functions.

Military members often ignore injuries in hopes of returning to battle as soon as possible. However, while their intent is to get back to work in order to help, they would actually be more prepared and a better asset to their fellow soldiers after having rested and healed properly. The army has made headway in terms of how they handle situations where soldiers experience a blast. Medical evaluations and 24 hours rest are mandatory for any soldier within 50 feet of a blast or in a vehicle that rolls over as a result of a blast. Much more comprehensive evaluations are mandatory for anyone suffering three concussions in a year.

It'll be interesting to see the results of the current study as the results will be taken in real time giving researchers much more insight as to how the effects vary daily based upon performance of real life activity and not just medical tests purposefully administered.

The full article can be read here.