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Military steps up effort to detect brain injuries
Posted: Aug 14, 2011 11:59 AM by AP Posted by James H Egbert
FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) - A group of infantry back from Afghanistan sat down before computers at Fort Carson and began answering a series of questions:
Were you wounded? Did you lose consciousness? Were you dazed, confused, or seeing stars?
The questionnaire is part of a battery of tests and interviews to identify soldiers who suffered even mild brain injuries that might go undetected. Since 2000, nearly 213,000 U.S. servicemen and women have suffered injuries ranging from concussions to something penetrating the brain, the military says.
By at least one measure, the military appears to be doing better screening. From 2000 through 2006, about 13,000 brain injuries were diagnosed each year. From 2007 through 2010, it was 28,000 a year.
The Army Medical Command said most of the increase is due to better detection methods.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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