Military gets new guidelines for post-concussion return to duty

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (UPI) - The Army is updating the protocol for the treatment and return to active service after concussions and traumatic brain injury. The new guidelines require a six-step process of ongoing activities that must be completed before the army be allowed to resume active service.

The new guidelines were developed by the Working Group Progressive Activity, which was assembled by defense officials and Veterans Brain Injury Center. The ad hoc group of experts in neuroscience and brain damage as well as representatives of the Ministry of Defence of the whole army.

Research sheds new light on adjuvants and long-term effects of concussions leaders moved to reconsider in a variety of fields and industries, treatment and recovery policies for traumatic brain injury.

If this has the most attention in the context of sport, especially football gathered, the decision of the TBI protocol army was to innovate to customize in fact an effort to rest and relaxation Guidelines for soldiers and other military personnel - Research last very dependent level sports-related studies.

"Although the service members share similarities with athletes," lead researcher Dr. Karen L. McCulloch, a neuroscientist at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, wrote in an introduction to the new guidelines, "Lines guidelines for sports-related concussion is not always integrate relevant military contexts, not the complexity of military needs, decision making under conditions of stress, and multitasking in extreme environments. "

The new guidelines require 24 hours a period of rest after a concussion. After the first period of rest, when the patient has symptoms once again demonstrate the activity, then treatment six step must be followed. The treatment is the patient through a six-day recovery progressing from "quiet, mild to moderate activity routine action oriented profession light, intense and full activity."

"These recommendations will further improve and standardize the care for mild TBI patients and useful information to participate more actively in their healing" Captain Richard Stoltz, head of Excellence Defense Centers for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury for Marine said in a press release.