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A New Excuse From Dept. Vet. To Denie Ptsd

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cachanilla73

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I just read this, I believe they are looking for another excuse to denie PTSD to our veterans... I lived with one combat veteran and I know what is like.... My husband ptsd is not because of something in his childhood or something in his brain or blood. It is a result from his combat.

We need to fight this together...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091120/ap_on_...predicting_ptsd

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It is CRAP!!!!!!!!!!! And I too know what it is like to have a PTSD combat vet husband. You realize right away that their war experience is the only reason they could possibly have PTSD.

I have photo of Rod in flowing red altar boy gown for his last Mass service before he left for Parris Island USMC.

His innocence was lost in Vietnam 65-66 Danang. Lost forever.He was never the same again.

Yes, They lost their inocence.... and it is very hard to enjoy life when You husband is not able to enjoy it himself... I always say We have a ghost living with Us, his name is PTSD. It's not visible, there are skepticals, but only Those who have seen it know it is VERY REAL.... it is not easy to tell your family and friends why Your Love One is acting this or that way and worst to convince Him He needs help, once He accepts to seek help He/She is confronted by the lack of understanding from the agency that is suppose to protect Him...

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Here's the REAL REASON they are doin it,

kind of like getting base line information

prior to deployment.

I think it is a very good idea.

jmho,

carlie

BTW - Dr. Maria Crane that is in this article was my

therapist at the Vet Center for 8 or 9 years.

She is a wonderful therapist and 100 % for the veteran.

carlie

November 2, 2009

Cognitive tests required for Europe-based troops

Exam establishes a baseline measurement in case they suffer a brain injury

By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes

Mideast edition, Monday, December 1, 2008

S&S

Capt. Christopher Siegrist takes the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics test at Wiesbaden Army Airfield last year.

This is one test you won’t have to study for.

Soldiers deploying from Europe will now be required to take a cognition test that establishes a baseline measurement in case they experience a traumatic brain injury while deployed.

The Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics is a computerized exam that takes about 20 minutes to complete and puts soldiers through some mental gymnastics that measure reaction times, short-term memory and doing math.

Traumatic brain injury is a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. Severity ranges from mild — a brief change in mental status or consciousness — to severe, including an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia. Mild TBI is synonymous with a concussion and has been labeled the signature injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

"If somebody has that kind of experience, we would wait 24 to 48 hours and then administer the ANAM again just as a way of measuring any changes," said Maria Crane, Europe Regional Medical Command’s traumatic brain injury program manager. "If there are, it would trigger referral to the primary care doctors or the psychologist or neuropsychologist downrange to take a look at that."

Earlier this year, the Army made the test mandatory for all deploying soldiers. However, it is not mandatory that soldiers take the test again when they redeploy.

Upon redeployment, only soldiers who have been identified as experiencing a blast-injury downrange or given the Military Acute Concussion Evaluation downrange would have to take the ANAM when they arrive home.

Crane stressed that the ANAM is a screening tool and not a diagnostic exam.

"With the areas of cognitive performance we’re measuring, they could not do as well on it because they’re tired, because they have (post-traumatic stress disorder) or because they have other things going on," she said. "We really can’t make that jump and say that the ANAM is worse now because six months ago you had a TBI. All we could do is say, ‘They didn’t perform very well on the ANAM so that means we should do further assessment.’ "

In response to the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act requirement for pre-and post-deployment screening for TBI, the Department of Defense has added TBI screening questions to the post-deployment health assessment, and in July required screening of all service members for mild TBI prior to deployment, according to a 2008 Government Accountability Office report.

The ANAM was initially selected for use as a measure of cognitive performance by the Army Medical Command based on a recommendation from the Army surgeon general’s TBI task force in May 2007, according to comments from Cynthia Vaughan, spokeswoman for the Army surgeon general.

Even before the ANAM test became mandatory, hundreds of soldiers stationed in Europe had already taken it. In August 2007, roughly 1,200 soldiers deploying with the 1st Armored Division headquarter in Wiesbaden, Germany, took the ANAM test as part of their pre-deployment process.

A six-person ANAM team from Europe Regional Medical Command will travel to communities where units are deploying and administer the ANAM to the soldiers, Crane said.

"I would just tell soldiers to take care of themselves by seeking the help that they need," she said. "Most of the time, treatment is very simple, very effective and there’s no loss of anything — no loss of home leave, no loss of career. It really is to help keep our soldiers healthy and functioning to the best of their abilities."

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VYNC said:

Something like that might trigger epilepsy or even the desire to listen to Jimmi Hendrix.

You are Right about the epilepsy I am sure-

but doesn't everyone desire to listen to Hendrix????? B)

Hendrix is before my time, but I love his music.

The wife of one of my fellow soldiers in Germany had epilepsy. She could not drive. If she went to a movie, her husband would have to pre-screen the movie to make sure nothing is present which could potentially trigger an episode. Based on Carlie's report, it sounds like they are using it as a screening tool, but I agree with you Berta, it's crap. They will probably use it against the benefit of our soldiers at some point.

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Why is a good idea to pre-screen? nothing can "simulate" real combat or another very stressful situation, next thing they will want to re-evaluate every vet with ptsd on the basis they have new 'evidence' that ptsd it is not cause by the combat or event, but for "something" in their childhood or brain....

We should read "between" the lines....

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