Researchers tie Gulf War illness to brain damage

zzz

zzz

Senior Member
Messages
675
Location
Oregon
This appears to be quite significant; as the article indicates, this also may have major implications for us.
WASHINGTON — Researchers say they have found physical proof that Gulf War illness is caused by damage to the brain — and that proof may ultimately help civilians who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

Using fMRI machines, the Georgetown University researchers were able to see anomalies in the bundle of nerve fibers that interpret pain signals in the brain in 31 Gulf War veterans. The research will be published Wednesday in PLOS ONE journal.

The findings are "huge," because an fMRI allows doctors to diagnose a person with Gulf War illness quickly, said James Baraniuk, senior author and professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center. The research, he said, also shows that Gulf War illness is not psychological.

An fMRI, or "functional" MRI, is a scan that measures activity by detecting how blood flows through the brain.

Many veterans have had difficulties getting benefits and treatment for a service-connected condition because doctors assumed they were either faking it or suffering from post-traumatic stress. "That's a problem with all physicians — VA, military or civilian," Baraniuk said. "If it doesn't fall within their small world of known diseases, then the patient is nuts."
Click to expand...

More can be found at the original link.
 
C

cmt12

Senior Member
Messages
167
How do they go from finding damage to the pain interpreting nerve fibers in the brain to "physical proof that it's caused by damage to the brain"?

The deterioration has happened because they have been stuck in a pain state for over a decade. It's good they have observable proof of physical symptoms but they don't understand the real root cause.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back