American soldiers with combat-related PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) seem to have a significantly higher risk of having diminished concentration, poor memory, headaches, tinnitus and irritability, researchers from Minnesota reveal in an article published in Archives of General Psychiatry. They also found no link between concussion or mild traumatic brain injuries and long-term consequences.

The authors wrote: "Nearly 2 million troops have been deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom since 2001. High levels of combat exposure have been documented among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom-deployed soldiers, with increased risk of blast exposure and injury and development of post-deployment mental and physical health problems."

The authors explained that little is known about the long-term effects concussion might have on soldiers who return from active duty. Most of the focus has been on the early identification of concussion.

Melissa A. Polusny, Ph.D., of the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System and the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, and team set out to find out what the association might be between concussion and PTSD symptoms reported while on active duty and the long-term psychosocial outcomes. They examined data on 953 US National Guard soldiers who had deployed to combat.

92.5% of soldiers were men, 87.1% were Caucasian, 46.4% were under the age of 30 years, and 86.5% were enlisted rank. They were surveyed in Iraq four weeks before being sent back home, and then again 12 months later.

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