The effects of a brain injury can be long-lasting and forever change the lives of not only those who suffer the injury but their caretakers as well. Since this devastating injury can impact so many people, it is not surprising that a variety of studies would be conducted in conjunction with the injury.
While people from many backgrounds could experience the injury, veterans are a demographic that continues to grow. Accordingly, they are also the group upon which many studies are conducted. A recent study focused on the parts of the brain that provide contextual information. The subjects of the study were veterans who had suffered a mild traumatic brain injury and weakened connectivity. Data collected in an MRI was analyzed.
Resting state functional MRI data was collected from 208 individuals who were involved in a traumatic event while participating in Operation Enduring freedom, Operation New Dawn or Operation Iraqi Freedom. The study found that there was a relationship between someone’s weakened brain connectivity and re-experiencing post traumatic stress disorder symptoms.
This is not the first time that brain injuries have been tied to PTSD. The condition can reoccur long after the physical symptoms of the injury have healed. PTSD can be so disruptive to the lives of those involved that they are unable to find a way to make ends meet. When the brain injury prompting the condition is the fault of another, it may be possible to file recover compensation for the damages via a personal injury lawsuit.