A new study has linked veterans to the same degenerative brain disease that affects many athletes, raising the concern about the debilitating effects of head injuries. According to U.S. News Health, autopsies of four young veterans found signs of early chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The research was led by Dr. Lee Goldstein of Boston University and Dr. Ann McKee of the VA New England Healthcare System. They hypothesize that the brain disease could be started by a blast, repeated blows, or any other similar accident.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) have received quite a bit if press in recent months, as multiple NFL players have speculated that they have been seriously affected by this brain disease. While some recover after things like concussions, others develop lasting adverse symptoms, leading researchers to guess that it may lead to things like Alzheimer’s and dementia. The four young men, before their deaths due to suicide or other causes, had reported problems with memory, irritability, sleep, and other issues.
This new research suggests that the problem with traumatic brain injuries may even be more widespread and serious than previously thought. Estimates by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other organizations hypothesize that between 1.5 and 3.8 million people suffer a sports-related traumatic brain injury each year. Research has shown that concussions and other relatively minor injuries can lead to far more serious problems like depression, decreased mental capabilities, loss of memory, degenerative brain disease, sleeplessness, post-concussion syndrome, persistent headaches, second-impact syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, and many other devastating injuries.
The nature of traumatic brain injuries make them particularly debilitating for victims, rendering them incapable of providing their families the same financial support as they previously did. As a result, the law allows victims to hold negligent persons or entities responsible for injuries their negligence caused. If you or a loved one has experienced a brain injury as a result of the negligence of another, contact an experienced Atlanta brain injury attorney by completing our case review form to see if you may be eligible to seek compensation for medical bills (past and future), lost wages, pain and suffering, and lost earning capacity.
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