Military/Veterans

Study links poor sleep quality to reduced brain gray matter in Gulf War vets
A new study of Gulf War veterans found an association between poor sleep quality and reduced gray matter volume in the brain's frontal lobe, which helps control important processes such as working memory and executive function. MedicalXpress

Study reveals bird threat to U.S. military helicopters
812 of the records included the type of animals involved, with birds accounting for 91%. The species involved in the collisions varied between services which operate across different habitats. Warblers (16.8%), bats (11..5%), and perching birds (12.0%) were the wildlife groups most commonly struck by the air force, whereas gulls (18.2%), seabirds (14.9%), shorebirds (13.4%), and raptors and vultures (12.6%) were most frequently struck by naval aircraft. PhysOrg

Blasts may cause brain injury even without symptoms
Veterans exposed to explosions who do not report symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI) may still have damage to the brain's white matter comparable to veterans with TBI, according to researchers at Duke Medicine and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The findings, published in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation on March 3, 2014, suggest that a lack of clear TBI symptoms following an explosion may not accurately reflect the extent of brain injury. Eurekalert!

Psychiatric ills widespread among US soldiers, studies say
Three new studies suggest that a sizeable percentage of American soldiers suffer from some type of mental health issue, at rates higher than those seen in the general population.

"Some of the differences in disorder rates are truly remarkable," Ronald Kessler, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School and senior author of one of the studies, said in a Harvard news release. "The rate of major depression is five times as high among soldiers as civilians, intermittent explosive disorder six times as high, and post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] nearly 15 times as high." MedicalXpress

Military dads have to re-learn parenting after deployment
Fathers who returned after military service report having difficulty connecting with young children who sometimes don't remember them, according to a study released this week. While the fathers in the study had eagerly anticipated reuniting with their families, they reported significant stress, especially around issues of reconnecting with children, adapting expectations from military to family life, and co-parenting.

"A service member who deploys when his child is an infant and returns home when the child is a toddler may find an entirely different child," says lead author Dr. Tova Walsh. "Under these circumstances, fathers find that it takes substantial effort to rebuild their relationship with their child." The study was published in a special issue of the journal Health & Social Work devoted to the needs of military families. About 37 percent of the 2 million U.S. children of service members are under age 6, suggesting that such issues are widespread. Eurekalert!