Why Is the Mystery of Blast Force Brain Injury So Tough to Solve? – Brain Health Education and Research Institute

Author of National Geographic’s February cover story discusses the ravages of traumatic brain injury from battlefield blasts. “Healing Our Soldiers,” the cover story of the February issue of National Geographic, is a searching inquiry into blast-induced traumatic brain injury—the signature injury suffered by American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns.

Known as shell shock in World War I, the devastating malady leaves victims with symptoms that range from sleep disorders to problems with memory and cognition. Many of the symptoms of blast-related brain trauma resemble those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complicating diagnosis. Though a definitive means of diagnosing and treating these injuries remains elusive, medical researchers are pursuing various theories about how blast force, particularly that caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), results in brain damage—in hopes of a breakthrough in understanding and, consequently, treatment.

Story author Caroline Alexander explains her interest in the subject, responds to questions raised by the radio audience, and shares advice with veterans who worry that they may be suffering from the syndrome.