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MU.S. Senator Claire McCaskill asked Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to move towards more effective treatments for traumatic brain injury (TBI) for veterans returning from war.
Often referred to as the “signature wound” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the prevalence of TBI among U.S. troops has increased markedly due in part to frequent encounters with improvised explosive devices. Even mild TBI can cause potentially serious cognitive deficits, particularly when the injury is repeated.
The Institute of Medicine recently issued a comprehensive report (available on McCaskill’s website HERE) regarding the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation therapy for treating TBI. Cognitive rehabilitation therapy refers to an array of therapies that are used to improve cognitive deficits caused by TBI (memory loss, social communication, etc.).
The Defense Department commissioned the study after criticism from veterans and their families whom were frustrated by military health insurer TRICARE’s decision to not offer full coverage for cognitive rehabilitation therapy. TRICARE’s decision had been based on certain earlier reviews of the scientific evidence which concluded that cognitive rehabilitation therapy was not proven to be effective for treating TBI. McCaskill raised questions about TRICARE’s contracts for those earlier TBI studies in February 2011.
MU.S. Senator Claire McCaskill asked Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to move towards more effective treatments for traumatic brain injury (TBI) for veterans returning from war.
Often referred to as the “signature wound” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the prevalence of TBI among U.S. troops has increased markedly due in part to frequent encounters with improvised explosive devices. Even mild TBI can cause potentially serious cognitive deficits, particularly when the injury is repeated.
The Institute of Medicine recently issued a comprehensive report (available on McCaskill’s website HERE) regarding the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation therapy for treating TBI. Cognitive rehabilitation therapy refers to an array of therapies that are used to improve cognitive deficits caused by TBI (memory loss, social communication, etc.).
The Defense Department commissioned the study after criticism from veterans and their families whom were frustrated by military health insurer TRICARE’s decision to not offer full coverage for cognitive rehabilitation therapy. TRICARE’s decision had been based on certain earlier reviews of the scientific evidence which concluded that cognitive rehabilitation therapy was not proven to be effective for treating TBI. McCaskill raised questions about TRICARE’s contracts for those earlier TBI studies in February 2011.
