Every year many servicemembers return home from deployment bearing the invisible wounds of post-traumatic stress disorder. Fierce Government reported that in 2013 alone, more than half a million veterans with primary or secondary PTSD were treated at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' clinics and medical centers.
Despite the large number of veterans living with PTSD, knowledge and treatments related to the condition are limited. But a consortium led by the VA's National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder wants to change that through a collection of neurological tissues.
A closer look at PTSD
On July 2, the VA announced the creation of the first-ever nationwide brain tissue biorepository. The "brain bank," as it is more commonly referred to, will help research that looks at PTSD in veterans, the VA reported.
According to a press release issued by the VA, the bank will follow participants during their lifetime and then study the brain and other tissues donated after death. The information gathered both before and after death will help researchers to learn more about the causes and progression of PTSD and hopefully identify possible treatments.
Whether soldiers return with mental, physical or no injuries, healthcare is available in the transition period.
"Although we have learned a great deal about abnormalities in brain structure and function from brain imaging research, there is no substitute for looking at the neurons themselves," national brain bank founder Dr. Matthew Friedman said in a statement. "Understanding the cellular and circuit contributions to abnormal brain activity in PTSD is critical in the search for potential biomarkers of susceptibility, illness and treatment response and for developing new treatments targeting the conditions at the cellular level."
A call for participants
The VA's Office of Research and Development reported that the study is open to any veteran with PTSD living in the U.S. Participants will be required to fill out surveys by mail, on the phone or online, and complete a brief test of memory and concentration. Donated neurological tissues will be collected after death.
According to the Office of Research and Development, veterans who wish to participate will need to sign consent documents, as will their next-of-kin who will have to confirm the decision to donate after death. Even after signing, former servicemembers can withdraw from the study at any time.
Veterans without PTSD can also participate in the study. The VA reported that researchers need to be able to study unaffected tissue as well to determine the impact of PTSD on the brain.