Combining nerve blocks with therapy speeds recovery in military personnel and veterans, clinical trial finds. Findings from a randomized clinical trial suggest that stellate ganglion block (SGB) treatment, a long-acting anesthetic injection to the cervical spine, can improve the efficacy of cognitive processing therapy in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Eighty-six veterans and military personnel with PTSD received SGB before or after daily cognitive processing therapy. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) was used to measure PTSD symptoms; a lower score represents greater improvement in symptoms. PCL-5 scores decreased from about 50 at baseline to about 20 after an average of 2 weeks, which lasted for about 1 year after treatment. Treatment response was quicker with receipt of SGB before cognitive processing therapy.
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Eye tests reveal brain trauma more than a decade after concussions. Recent research suggests that veterans with a history of concussion might continue to experience differences in brain function decades after the initial injury. In this study, 38 veterans with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 40 veterans without TBI completed eye movement tasks and cognitive tests that measured attention, processing speed, and self-control. Compared to those without TBI, veterans with mild TBI were more likely to have slower, less accurate eye movements and worse performance on some attention-based tasks, with some differences measurable more than a decade after the initial injury. The lead investigator of the study noted that eye movement tests might be valuable in assessing cognitive concerns and informing personalized treatment plans, particularly since magnetic resonance imaging scans can appear normal following mild TBI.
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Airborne toxins trigger a unique form of chronic sinus disease in veterans. Researchers have identified a distinct pattern of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) among veterans with exposure to military burn pits and other deployment toxins. In veterans with CRS and toxins exposure, the expression of mast cells, a type of immune cell, was found to be increased by about twofold, compared to patients with CRS and no toxins exposure. Expression of mast cells was further elevated in veterans with longer deployment duration vs those with shorter deployment duration. Genes related to mast cells were also increased, and pathways associated with processing and eliminating foreign substances were enriched. A mouse model showed that combustion-related compound exposure heightened inflammation related to allergens, and sustained mast cell accumulation occurred in the sinuses.
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Research identifies genetic changes linked to bone marrow cancer in veterans exposed to Agent Orange. A recent study found that patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, a group of bone marrow cancers, who had been exposed to Agent Orange had an increased likelihood of harboring high-risk chromosomal abnormalities, which indicates more aggressive disease, compared to patients without exposure. Mutations in certain genes, such as KRAS and TET2, were more common in patients with Agent Orange exposure compared to those without exposure.
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