Military Traumatic Brain Injury Initiative - MTBI2

A word of warning before you heat up the bbq & light up your sparklers this .

Fireworks can be triggering to service members & veterans who experience post-traumatic stress ( ). Sporadic explosions, loud bangs, & large crowds are particularly distressing.

During your 4th of July celebrations, be considerate of the guardians of our freedom.

Learn more about the ways fireworks can impact veterans & other military personnel: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/what/fireworks_ptsd.asp

📸: U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew Enriquez

TBIs & neurodegenerative diseases can damage axons – the long fibers that help neurons communicate with one another.

As our teammate, Dr. Regina Armstrong, explains, it can help to think of axons as the brain’s "information highway.” Axons allow electrical signals, known as action potentials, to travel & transmit information throughout the brain.

When axons are healthy, these signals move quickly & efficiently, helping the brain process information rapidly & coordinate actions accurately. But when axons are damaged, they can create a “traffic jam.”

A mild TBI or concussion may “close” a few lanes, slowing down signal movement. More severe axonal damage may shut down all lanes, making it much harder for signals to travel from one neuron to another.

That disruption can affect cognitive and neurological function, contributing to symptoms like memory problems, dizziness, balance issues, & slowed processing.

📸 : U.S. Army National Guard Photo by Spc. Yancy Mendoza

The impact of can last for decades.

According to a 2020 study, researchers found that veterans who experienced a TBI were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with dementia later in life than veterans without a history of TBI.

Researchers have also linked TBI to an increased risk of several neurodegenerative disorders, including dementia & Alzheimer’s disease.

Another 2020 study found that patients who self-reported a history of TBI experienced the onset of dementia symptoms 6 months sooner than patients without a TBI.

The same study cited data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set showing that patients with a history of brain injury experienced the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms 2.5 years sooner than patients without a TBI.

It’s unclear how factors such as age at the time of injury may influence the onset of neurodegenerative disease. But the evidence points to an important need: researchers & clinicians must better understand the connection between brain injury & long-term brain health.

Learn more: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7511920/ -2